Nemu's Trials
by pehpig
Summary: Nemu can no longer hide her pregnancy and must face the consequences, both from Soul Society and her father. When will she tell Uryuu he's about to be a father? Will she be allowed? Rated T for possible language and violence later.  I do not own Bleach.
1. Nemu Confesses

**Summary:** Sequel to _The Quincy Reborn?_ Nemu can no longer hide her condition from her father.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri did not know what to do. It was a most unfamiliar and irritating sensation. There was no method he could use to solve his problem, no theory he could pursue that would lead to a solution. He was losing Nemu.

Once again, he pulled the camera footage up on his monitor watching the recorded scene showing Ishida Uryuu's encounter with the person he erroneously believed to also be a quincy, Ijima Reiko. How wonderful it had been when it turned out she was not what she had seemed. He remembered how he had laughed in delight when it looked like the arrancar had been about to devour the foolish boy. Then the creature had dealt with Nemu's arrival by fooling her into thinking the quincy had betrayed her. It had been beautiful. It was everything he had wanted. He remembered the uplifting joy he had felt knowing that pest would soon be a hollow's dinner and Nemu would no longer be distracted by her ridiculous feelings. He had won!

Then is all came crashing down. The picture on his monitor flickered as Nemu's attack knocked the arrancar off her feet. Back and forth the little figures moved, first one side getting the upper hand, then the other. He watched for what must have been the thousandth time as Nemu eventually triumphed and helped the boy to his feet. He rewound the footage and watched it again. Why had this happened? His triumph had been so close. Now Nemu was more attached to that lowly maggot than ever. And he had no idea what to do about it.

He felt lost and confused and angry, but most of all, he felt hate. He hated him for taking Nemu away. He hated her for daring to give her loyalty to that stupid boy. Most of all, he hated this impotent, powerless feeling the situation gave him. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

><p>"You sent for me, Mayuri-sama?"<p>

Nemu arrived promptly as usual to his summons. Looking at her, standing calmly in her uniform, face placid, eyes slightly downcast, you would never know anything had changed.

"Obviously." He said peevishly. "Now that your little vacation is over, perhaps we can get some work done around here. Lay down on the table. I'm going to adjust your inventory."

"My inventory?" She replied. "Why do you need to adjust my inventory?

Mayuri was taken aback. She was questioning his actions? Before she would simply lie on the table and allow him to do his work. It was that damned Quincy's fault, he was sure of it. He was a bad influence on her.

"It's been months since we've adjusted your internal storage." He explained astonished that he should even have to do so. "Besides the usual rotation, I want to add something new."

He held up a syringe filled with a light red fluid, grinning as he stared through the glass barrel.

"This is something I came up with while you were gone. It has fantastic mutagenic properties and guarantees days, possibly weeks of misery for its victims as their bodies betray them and warp into grotesque new shapes until they take a form that cannot survive the environment."

He laughed in delight at how clever he was.

"Doesn't it sound like fun? Now get on the table so I can add this to your internal storage."

Nemu began to slowly back away.

"I do not want to have that placed in me."

Mayuri frowned. She was making him angry with her disobedience. Thinking for herself was bad enough, he was not going to tolerate defiance.

"Stop being foolish! I wouldn't put this in you if it would do you harm. You contain far more toxic substances that this. This is hardly worth fussing over. Now get on that table!"

Nemu had actually backed into the wall and was shaking her head vigorously in denial.

"Mayuri-sama, please. I don't want to do this. Please do not make me."

He was really angry now. With a growl, he grabbed her arm and twisted it upwards.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it! I will not have you shirking your duties over some irrational fear!"

He brought the syringe to her arm and prepared to plunge it into her flesh.

"Get that away from me!" She screamed.

She tore her arm free from his grasp and slapped the syringe from his hands. It flew across the room and shattered against the opposite wall. Immediately, clouds of oily black smoke began to form.

"You fool!" Mayuri shouted.

He ran to an emergency kit bolted to the wall and broke the glass with the small hammer chained to the side. Seizing a large can, he yanked off the lid and threw white powder over the smoldering formula eating its way through the wall and floor. For a few tense seconds, it seemed like nothing was happening. Soon, the smoke stopped as the powder neutralized the liquid.

Mayrui turned to Nemu, his face a mask of rage as he forcefully threw the now empty can on the floor.

"You idiot!" He snarled. "Do you have any idea what you have just cost me? Do you realize how difficult it was to synthesize that much formula?"

"I'm sorry Mayuri-sama." She said as she bowed low in apology.

"Sorry." He hissed. "You'll know the meaning of sorry when I'm done with you."

He stalked across the room, reason and self control forgotten. He knew on some level that Nemu would report him for abusing her. He knew that he was throwing away weeks of progress in building up trust he had been carefully cultivating. In his rage, he didn't care. At that moment, he was furious and felt nothing more than the need to punish.

* * *

><p>Renji glanced over at his captain as they walked down the street leading to Division 12. As usual, Byakuya seemed to float above the situation, calm and serene.<p>

"I can't say I like this Captain." He said "It seems weird getting called into another division's disciplinary affairs."

While divisions handled their own problems as a rule, Gotei 13 regulations did allow members to appeal to outside authority when necessary. The last time Division 6 had been called into action for this purpose was to retrieve Captain Kuchiki's fugitive sister. When the call came to respond to Division Twelve for a domestic assault, it was not unheard of, but the rarity of the occasion still struck Renji as odd.

"We will determine the appropriateness of the complaint when we arrive on scene." Byakuya coolly replied. "The victim is supposed to meet us at the gate."

As they approached the Twelfth Division's compound gates, Renji had no problem spotting the victim. The torn, bloody clothes and bruised face furrowed with deep, bleeding scratches made it obvious.

"It's about time you got here!" Mayuri griped. "Arrest her! Drag her out of here in chains! I want her punished to the maximum amount the regulations allow!"

"Please calm yourself Captain Kurotsuchi." Byakuya said. "We need to know what happened here before we can take appropriate action."

"What happened?" Mayuri sputtered. "I'll tell you what happened. I called Nemu in for a perfectly routine procedure and she attacked me! It's as simple as that."

"Where is Lieutenant Kurotsuchi now, Captain?" Byakuya asked.

"She locked herself into the specimen vault." Mayuri replied. "It's this way."

He led them into the compound and down into the basements and sub basements of the facility. There were many delays as he used various cards and punch codes to get to levels with higher security ratings. Or safety hazards. The whole way he moaned and complained about Nemu's recent dereliction of duty and gross insubordination. Byakuya repeatedly asked what was the "routine procedure" she had refused to perform. Mayuri evaded his questions, citing the need for secrecy. Finally, he brought them to the lowest level.

"Here it is." Mayuri announced waving at a massive steel door. "The specimen vault."

They stood there staring at it for several seconds. Renji started to fidget in the uncomfortable silence.

"Um, aren't you going to open it up for us?" He said.

"I can't." Mayrui replied. "She's locked herself inside and disabled the outside controls on all the entrances."

"Then how were you expecting us to arrest her?" Renji asked.

"I don't know!" Mayuri barked. "You're the arresting authority, figure something out!"

Renji drew his zampakuto.

"Well, I'll try breaking it down. Stand back. I'll probably have to go bankai."

Mayuri sneered at his ignorance.

"It's a _specimen vault_ you cretin. It would take have a dozen captains using bankai for days just to crack it open and the entire compound would most likely be destroyed first. You'll have to do better than that."

Byakuya ignored their little exchange, stepping up to the vault door and running his hand lightly across it as he looked it over.

"Captain Kurotsuchi." He said. "Is this an intercom? Will it allow us to communicate with the lieutenant?"

"Yes, it should." Mayuri said stepping closer. "All outside audio and video communication is cut off when you go inside. This is the only way to talk to someone in there. It's designed to be heard throughout the vault."

He switched it on.

"You press this button to talk." He said indicating the large square on the bottom.

Byakuya stepped up to the device and pressed the talk button.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu. This is Captain Kuchiki Byakuya of the Sixth Division. I have been tasked to arrest you on the charges of dereliction of duty and assault on a superior officer. Will you surrender yourself peacefully?"

Releasing the talk button, they listened for several seconds as the box produced nothing but the occasional crackle of static.

"Maybe I should try, Captain." Renji said.

Byakuya gracefully backed away, allowing Renji to use the intercom.

"Hey, Nemu." He said. "It's me, Renji. Uh, look, I'm guessing some things got out of hand, but you know, I'm sure it's all just a big misunderstanding. I'll bet that if you come outside, we can straighten this whole thing out. What do you say?"

Again, the box on the wall gave nothing but static.

"Are you sure this thing is working?" Renji asked Mayuri.

"Of course it's working, you clod." Mayuri snarled. "Can't you see the green indicator light? Get out of my way, I'll handle this."

He stalked over to the intercom and angrily mashed the talk button down.

"Nemu! I know you can hear me you rotten child! You wanted me to use proper channels for discipline? Well you're getting your wish! These men are here to drag you out in irons like you deserve for your vicious, unprovoked attack. Stop shaming me by hiding like a coward. Come out! Come out this instant!"

Just as before, there was nothing but hisses and crackles.

"Do you see what I have to deal with?" Mayuri implored his witnesses.

"This is indeed a difficult situation." Byakuya said. "Unless we can come up with a different solution than force, we would appear to be at an impasse."

Renji scratched his head, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I'm not too sure, but I think I have an idea."

* * *

><p>Momo was alone as she approached the door. Its massive solidity was a little intimidating, looming over her with it metallic bulk. She paused for a moment to touch the corridor wall, leaning on her hand as if she had lost her balance momentarily. She then went to the intercom as instructed and pressed the talk button.<p>

"Un, Nemu-chan, are you there? It's me, Momo."

She released the talk button and waited for a reply. None came. After a few minutes, she tried again.

"Nemu-chan, I heard some bad things happened today. I just want to help."

There was still no reply.

"Nemu-chan." Momo pleaded into the box. "Even if I can't do anything for you, don't you at least want to talk?"

After a few more minutes of waiting, she was about to turn away to report her defeat when the door began to move. It was eerie seeing the meters-thick slab of metal swaying silently outward on its well oiled tracks and hinges, almost graceful in its hydraulic powered movement.

"Please step inside." Nemu's voice said over the intercom.

Forcing herself not to look behind her at the spycam she had placed on the wall, Momo entered the dimly lit vault. The door closed behind her, making noise only as it sealed itself into its frame.

* * *

><p>"You had plenty of time when the door was open." Mayuri complained as he stared at his computer monitor they had set up in a nearby room. "Why didn't you rush in?"<p>

They had hoped to see something useful from the spycam if Momo was successful in getting Nemu to open the door. Nemu had apparently anticipated that. They saw nothing but darkness while the door was open and now saw only the once again closed door.

"Captain Kurotsuchi." Byakuya replied. "As that is the storage area for your most valuable specimens and the lieutenant may potentially resist arrest, how much damage do you think she could do before we were able to subdue her? It would be best to allow Lieutenant Hinamori time to calm Lieutenant Kurotsuchi down."

Mayuri folded his arms and 'hmphed' in disgust. Byakuya was right. If Nemu chose to resist, she could do incalculable damage and destroy irreplaceable samples. That didn't make him feel any better. He hated for anyone to be right except him. Nonetheless, it was as Captain Kuchiki said. The best and only thing they could do now was wait and see if Lieutenant Abarai's plan worked, see if Lieutenant Hinamori could bring her out. They waited impatiently as they watched the door through the spycam.

* * *

><p>The lights came up as the door closed behind Momo.<p>

"Nemu-chan, are you there?" she called out.

"In the back." Nemu replied.

There were racks and cases and cabinets reaching up to the ceiling. It was impossible to see very far in any direction. Momo tried to walk towards where she thought Nemu's voice had come from. Stepping too close to a cage, something lunged and snarled at her. She flinched away from it, not at all sure what she was looking at.

"Stay between the yellow lines, please." Nemu called out.

Looking down, Momo saw the path through vault was painted in red bordered by yellow lines with warnings of danger for anyone who left the path. She was soon grateful for its guidance. The vault was filled with many different items, from multi colored liquids that flowed through winding tubes to dull and unimpressive bins to strange objects that seemed to pull you in their direction the more that you stared at them. More than once, Momo had to drop her eyes to the floor to make sure she didn't get lost. Following the pathway, she soon came to the back of the vault safely. There she saw Nemu sitting on a bench, hands folded, eyes downcast. As Momo approached, she looked up and waved for her friend to sit down beside her.

"This is some place you have here." Momo exclaimed as she sat down. "What was that animal I saw?"

"It was not an animal." Nemu said. "It was a mineral. It's hard to explain."

"Oh, I see." Momo said, not seeing at all. "So, I was told you're having some trouble."

Nemu merely nodded silently, sadly.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Momo asked.

Nemu sighed. "Mayuri-sama called me into his lab to work with a toxic substance. This is not an unusual duty for me. Ordinarily, there would be no problem with the task he wished for me to perform. Unfortunately, things have changed. I can no longer perform tasks of that nature."

"Why?" Momo asked. "What happened?"

"I can no longer work with toxic substances." Nemu replied. "I can no longer endure severe shocks. I cannot allow myself to be subjected to stress and danger."

She lifted her head to look Momo in the eye.

"I can no longer think only of myself." She said. "I must do everything I can to protect my child."

Mom couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Your child? You mean to say…?"

Nemu nodded. "Yes. My child. I'm pregnant."

Momo's jaw nearly hit the floor. This was astonishing! There were many children in Soul Society, true, but very few had been born there. Conceiving children required the parents to have an enormous amount of spiritual power and was routine only among the nobility. Even in the upper ranks of the Gotei 13, having a child was almost unheard of. Without thinking, her hand stretched out to Nemu's waist, lightly touching her abdomen in amazement.

"You're pregnant." She whispered. "That's wonderful."

Suddenly, the realities and difficulties this situation presented hit her train of thought.

"Wait a minute." She said removing her hand from Nemu's stomach and straightening up. "You're pregnant? How could this happen?"

Nemu looked at her with a confused look on her face.

"Well, for fertilization to occur, first the male must be aroused." She explained. "Under proper stimulation, blood engorges the p…"

"No, no, I know that," Momo interrupted, "I mean, who's the father?"

Nemu again fixed her gaze on the floor.

"It's Ishida Uryuu." She confessed. "The Quincy archer. I haven't told him yet. It's not something we tried to do. I was unaware I was able to conceive. Had I known, I would have taken precautions. It's not fair to him to burden him with responsibility like this."

"So what are you going to do?" Momo asked in a quiet voice. "Are you going to…get rid of it?"

Nemu wrapped her arms around her body and doubled over as if protecting her unborn child.

"No! Never!" She exclaimed. "I love it too much already."

"If you keep it, you will probably have to resign." Momo pointed out. "Does anyone else know?"

"Captain Unohana and Isane." Nemu said.

She had gone to the fourth division right away after her fight with the arrancar. It was a relief to learn her baby was unharmed. Captain Unohana had agreed to keep things secret, but warned her she would have to report it eventually.

"I'm not worried about resigning." Nemu said. "I am ready to make that sacrifice. I am more worried about Mayuri-sama. I'm afraid to tell him."

How could she explain it to her friend? She was worried about Mayuri's reaction on several levels. He could seek to harm her. He could seek revenge on Uryuu. Worst of all, he could try to take their child. Knowing the many, many ways Mayuri could torture and warp their beautiful child, callously and cruelly twisting it to his own ends, it made her blood run cold.

Momo placed her hand on Nemu's shoulder.

"It's not like you have to go through this alone." She said. "We're here now, me and Captain Kuchiki and Renji. We can help you. If nothing else, I'll be right next to you the whole time. That's what friends are for you know. You can lean on us to help get through this."

Nemu gave her a grateful look. She knew that she had been letting her fears get the better of her. She had been thinking about her problem as if she was alone. Momo's words reminded her that she wasn't friendless in this world and that she did have people she could turn to.

"You're right." She said. "Besides, putting this off won't make anything easier."

She stood up from the bench. Despite her fear, she held onto the newfound determination her friend had given her.

"It's time to let Mayuri-sama know."

* * *

><p>As soon as they saw the door opening on the monitor, they raced down the hall to the vault. Momo and Nemu were exiting as they arrived<p>

"So glad you could finally join us," Mayuri sneered sarcastically as he walked towards them. "I hope you're ready to take your punishment."

"Captain Kurotsuchi."Momo said. "Nemu-chan has something she would like to tell you."

Puzzled, Mayuri stood frowning at his daughter as she stepped close. Standing tall, she looked him straight in the eye.

"Mayuri-sama." She said. "I can no longer work in this environment. I am with child."

Even through his makeup, it was easy to see the expression change on Mayuri's face. It progressed from surprise, to disbelief, to rage.

"It's the Quincy's. Isn't it?" He shouted.

Nemu calmly nodded. "Yes. Ishida Uryuu is the father."

Nemu did not flinch from her father's anger. She did not back down. She did not even move as his hand lashed out towards her face.

Byakuya caught Mayuri's fist a few centimeters from its target.

"Captain Kurotsuchi." He said "As your lieutenant is now in my custody, I cannot allow you to harm her."

"I withdraw the charges." Mayuri snarled, barely coherent. "I will discipline her myself!"

"That cannot be allowed." Byakuya calmly explained. "Her actions are against the law of Soul Society and can only be dealt with by the Council of 46."

He released Mayuri's hand and turned to Renji.

"Lieutenant Abarai, restrain the prisoner and prepare her for transport to the holding cells."

"Huh?" Renji said confusedly. "Uh, sure."

Taking out his handcuffs, he pulled Nemu's hands behind her back and fastened them in place.

"Sorry Nemu." He said. He tried to make sure the cuffs weren't too tight.

"You can't do this." Momo said. "She's in a delicate condition!"

"We have to follow protocol, lieutenant." Byakuya said. "Conceiving a child with one of the living is a serious offense. In a situation this grave, we must ensure we follow all required procedures."

He turned to Mayuri,

"We will be taking the prisoner back to our holding cells. You will be contacted later on visitation rights and your privileges both as her superior officer and relative."

The whole time, Mayuri had been standing like a statue, disgust and fury carved on his face. Byakuya's words seemed to wake him up.

"Fine." He hissed. "Take this filth out of here."

Turning on his heel, he stalked his way down the corridor.

"Mayuri-sama." Nemu called out to his retreating back. He didn't turn around even to glance at her as he left. "Mayuri-sama!"

She watched him until he couldn't be seen anymore. When he was well gone, her shoulders slumped, hurt by her father's rejection.

Renji sighed with relief and rummaged around in his pocket for the handcuff keys.

"I have to admit captain, that was quick thinking refusing to release Nemu from custody." He said. "I'll take these off now."

"You will do no such thing, lieutenant." Byakuya said. "She is to remain that way until she is placed into confinement."

"You mean you were serious?" Momo asked.

"Of course." Byakuya said. "From this point forward, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's fate resides with the Council of 46."


	2. The Council of 46

**Summary:** Nemu learns just how much trouble she's in as she goes to see the Council of 46.

"I don't believe this!" Nanao cried as she ran up to the cell. She stared horror at Nemu who stood placidly in her white prisoner robes.

"When I first heard about this I couldn't believe it, but its true! They have you locked up like an animal!"

"Greetings, Lieutenant Ise." Nemu said with a polite bow. "There is no need to be concerned. The door is unlocked."

"It is?" Nanao said while pulling on the door. Sure enough, it glided open on well oiled hinges.

"In my condition, it was felt that I should be allowed to use the bathroom down the hall whenever necessary." Nemu explained.

"A woman in your condition shouldn't be kept in a filthy cage like this anyway!" Nanao declared as she entered the cell, still outraged.

"Aw, c'mon Nanao." Renji protested. "We clean this cell every day. You could eat off that floor."

"Indeed." Nemu added "The sixth division has gone out of their way to make me as comfortable as possible."

She waved her hands to indicate the bed, rocking chair, bookshelf loaded with books and the small desk with a laptop on it.

Nanao sniffed. "Still, it's the principle of the thing." She handed Nemu the large basket she had brought filled with soaps, lotions and other items and decorated with ribbons.

"Here's a present from the Shinigami Women's Association. We felt a basket of sundries would be necessary in this harsh and neglectful environment."

"We're not neglecting anybody!" Renji protested

Nanao pointedly ignored him.

"I was glad to see my division won the drawing to act as your representation." She said. "We'll soon get this sorted out. Speaking of which, that captain of mine was supposed to meet me here."

Renji shrugged. "If he shows up, I had Rikichi waiting at the entrance to escort him in."

"Nanao-chaaaan!" A man's voice called out. "Are you in here? I seem to be lost."

Nanao rolled her eyes. "Over here." She replied.

Muttering curses under his breath aimed at his subordinate, Renji went out into the cell block to guide Kyōraku Shunsui the rest of the way. The big man swept into Nemu's cell in a swirl of pink cloth and cologne.

"Ah, there's our little mother-to-be."Shunsui said gripping Nemu by the shoulders. "Congratulations my dear. I can already see a bright glow around you."

"My thanks, Captain Kyōraku. " Nemu said. "However, my appearance is merely an illusion caused by an increase in blood flow as well as greater production of hormones resulting in increased oil secretion on my skin in preparation for the rapid growth I will soon be experiencing. I am emitting no illumination in any significant quantities. I checked."

Shunsui threw back his head and laughed. "Of course you did Nemu-chan, of course you did. Now, if our esteemed colleague and host can show us somewhere we can all sit down, we will go over the particulars of your case."

At that moment, a gangling youth came tearing around the corner, stumbling over his own feet and barely managing to stay upright as he came to a stop in front of Renji.

"There you are Rikichi!" Renji yelled. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I'm.._huff_…sorry…_puff_..Abarai-san." He struggled to say. "I had to go to the bathroom…_gasp_… and by the time I came out.._wheeze_."

"Never mind." Renji barked. "Just lead our guests to the interrogation room."

"The interrogation room!" Nanao exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Nemu. "Oh no you don't! I won't let you force a confession out of her with your thumb screws and hot pokers!"

Renji slapped his open palm over his face. "It's just a room with tables and chairs in it, Nanao. Sheesh, what an imagination you have. We're not barbarians!"

Without too much trouble, Rikichi soon led them to the interrogation room, a bland white room with a plain table in the middle and several chairs. Notepads and writing tools were placed in the middle of the table. Tea had already been prepared and Rikichi poured out cups for everyone before taking his leave.

"I'll be waiting outside to escort the prisoner back to her cell when you're done." Renji said.

"The 'prisoner' has a name." Nanao retorted "Have you forgotten that, or is this another one of those dehumanizing mind games you people use to break her spirit and force her to comply with your brutal, soul killing routine?"

Renji grimaced. "You know what? I…I...never mind. Just never mind."

Rolling his eyes, he left the room, closing the door behind him and moving down the hall to wait until he was summoned.

Shunsui chuckled, "My little Nanao-chan, such a spitfire."

"I am not your little Nanao-chan." Nanao declared turning up her nose.

"Since we are going to be here a while, we may as well get comfortable." Shunsui said taking a flask out from a pocket in his robe.

Nanao was scandalized. "Captain, it's not even past noon yet!"

"Sake always tastes sweetest before noon Nanao-chan, you should know this by now." Shunsui said as he produced a cup from another pocket. He set the cup of tea before him aside and put the empty cup on the table filling to to the rim from his flask.

"I know that you can't join me Nemu-chan, but surely you can have a taste Nanao-chan?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned away in disgust. "No thank you."

Shunsui shrugged. "Suit yourself." He drained the cup in one long draught.

"Ah! That's the way to start off a long meeting." Putting his cup down, he filled it again from his flask.

"You certainly seem to have gotten yourself in a pickle, Nemu-chan." He said. "As I will be defending you before the Council of 46, I am going to have to ask you a lot of questions. Some of them will be very personal and even seem a little rude. Do you understand?"

Nemu solemnly nodded. "Yes Captain Kyōraku. I will do my best to supply you with any information you require."

Shunsui nodded back and smiled. "That's good to hear. The first thing I need to know is, are you sure that you are carrying the child of a human from the living world? Is there any possibility it's another seated officers' child or a nobleman's?"

Nanao's jaw dropped open in shock. "Captain, what are you implying? Lieutenant Kurotsuchi is not some trollop spreading her favors willy-nilly! How could you ask such a thing?"

Nemu shook her head. "The question does not disturb me. I can say truthfully that Ishida Uryuu is the only man I ever allowed to touch me. He is undeniably the father."

Shunsui sighed and took a sip from his cup. "I was afraid you'd say something like that. It would have made things a lot easier if you were just pregnant with another shinigami's child. Then you would only be asked to resign your commission."

"There is no regulation that states a seated officer must resign in the event of pregnancy." Nanao pointed out.

"But it is a long standing custom." Shunsui replied.

"A custom that only seems to apply to _female_ shinigami." Nanao said. "Males are never asked to resign when their significant others are pregnant. It's an outdated, sexist policy that in no way reflects reality. It should be changed!"

"Why Nanao-chan," Shunsui said reaching out to pinch her cheek, "were you planning on something?"

She struck his hand away. "You wish."

"So harsh." Shunsui whined pulling back his hand. He grew more serious as he faced Nemu.

"Have you been told the consequences of having a child with one of the living?"

Nemu nodded. "Yes. Captain Kuchiki brought me the relevant articles as soon as I was incarcerated. There is a wide range of options the council of 46 may choose, up to and including execution."

"We're not going to let that happen!" Nanao declared.

"That's pretty unlikely in any case." Shunsui said taking a sip from his cup. "That law is very old and comes from a time when interaction between Soul Society and the world of the living was getting troublesome. There were so many hybrids being born, it was beginning to upset the balance of souls. Harsh punishment became necessary. It was a different time then. People were a lot more open to the spiritual in those days and didn't find it strange to talk to or even form relationships with someone from the spirit realm. Nowadays, fewer and fewer people in the real world believe in ridiculous things like shinigami and even the spiritually gifted don't believe their eyes when they see us. Problems like this one are very rare now."

He took another long drink, draining the cup. He filled it again, giving his flask a shake, dismay showing on his face from how little he had left.

"So while I don't think we have to worry about execution, we do have to be prepared to argue for the outcome we desire." He looked at her from under the brim of his straw hat. "That means I need to know what you want Nemu-chan. What do you wish the results to be?"

Nemu replied without hesitation. "I wish to be sent to the real world. I am prepared to live the rest of my life as a normal human. I want to give my child the best upbringing possible. I want to stay with Ishida Uryuu to the end of my days."

"But Nemu-chan, "Nanao said, "what if he doesn't want you?"

It was a possibility. She had considered it. Uryuu was a decent man and she was sure of his love. Still the responsibility of raising a child was daunting.

She shook her head. "I have faith in Uryuu. We'll work something out. Even if he were to reject me, the real world is still a better place to raise my child. We'll manage."

She didn't mention it was probably safer. She'd raise her child in Hueco Mundo if she knew it would keep them safe from Mayuri-sama.

"Well that gives us somewhere to start." Shunsui said grabbing a notebook. "If the real world is your goal, then that's what we'll work towards."

He cocked an eyebrow at Nemu. "Of course, while I will do all I can to get you what you want, a big part of the council's decision will depend on your captain's testimony."

Nemu merely nodded. She knew that too. The thought sent chills down her spine.

* * *

><p>The moon was high as the two sentries rounded the corner of the sixth division compound. The silvery light showed nothing, just as it had all night. The two men yawned and shook their heads to try and stay alert. The end of their shift was coming up soon. It wouldn't do to become careless now. With nothing worth noting, they made their way down the long wall and rounded the corner. As soon as they were gone, the paint on the wall began to flake and crumble. A part of the wall began to push away from the rest. It soon began to take a shape. A man's shape. Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri's shape. Once the camouflage had all fallen free, he got to work. Taking an aerosol can out of the leather bag he was carrying, he sprayed a door sized area over the wall. The specially designed enzymes ate through the bricks turning them quickly to a thin liquid. He had timed the sentries patrol and knew he had only a limited window to carry out his plan. As soon as the way was clear, he stepped through the hole in the wall. His time was limited, but it should be more than enough. Stepping out into the courtyard, he paused for a moment to get his bearings. Where would the cell block be from here?<p>

"You're having trouble sleeping too, Mayuri-kun?" A voice called out.

Whirling around, Mayuri saw Kyōraku Shunsui leaning against the wall right next to the hole he had just made.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"As I said, I had trouble sleeping." Shunsui replied as he left the wall and approached Mayuri. "I'm supposed to be representing your daughter tomorrow and couldn't stop thinking about her case. Taking a walk always helps me think. Funny thing though, I came walking by the compound and felt something odd by this wall. I couldn't figure out what it could be, so I came in to wait and see what happened. This is a strange way to get in Mayuri-kun. Why didn't you just go in the front gate?

"I don't see how it's any of your business." Mayuri snapped. "I merely wanted to visit Nemu without being disturbed. I brought her a few things from home to comfort her."

He held up the leather bag he was carrying as proof.

"You could have just come during visiting hours." Shunsui pointed out.

"And I would have guards swarming all around me." Mayuri replied "I need more privacy than that."

"Oh?" Shunsui said raising an eyebrow. "Why is that? Perhaps I should have a look at what's in that bag."

Mayuri held the bag away from him. "I already told you, it's just a few things from home to make Nemu more comfortable."

"Then why won't you let me see it?" Shunsui asked. "You seem to be acting a bit suspiciously, Mayuri-kun. "

Mayuri let out a deep sigh. His shoulders sagged as he looked at the ground and he seemed to shrink down as though under a heavy burden.

"You don't understand Captain Kyōraku." He said quietly. "I know I am not a moderate man. I sometimes let my temper get the better of me. Nemu telling me she was pregnant was one of those times. I did a very foolish thing. I turned my back on my only daughter. I let my anger control me and may have ruined the one real relationship I have. I failed in my role as a father. I cast her aside instead of supporting her when she needed it most."

He looked up at Shunsui with pleading eyes. "I want to make it up to her Kyōraku. She's sitting that cell right now, frightened and alone. She need to know that she still has a family that cares for her, a father that loves her. I thought it would be best if we were alone when I talked to her, to convince her I was sincere. Let me go to her Kyōraku. Let me make up for my mistake. Please."

Shunsui held back a sob. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and swabbed his teary eyes.

"That was so beautiful." He said, his voice thick with emotion. "Yes, Mayuri-kun. Go to her. Go to your daughter with my blessing."

He stood aside to let Mayuri pass. The scientist could hardly believe his luck. He bowed his head in thanks and began to walk past the now steadily weeping man.

He got two steps before Shunsui put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm still going to have to look in that bag."

Before he could do anything, Shunsui had snatched the bag from his hands and was on the other side of the courtyard.

"Hmm, what have we here?" He said rummaging around inside the bag. "A scalpel. Syringes. Some kind of clampy thing."

Shunsui dropped each object on the ground as he brought it out of the bag. Mayuri was helpless to do anything but watch as he scowled with his arms crossed.

"What's in this jar here?" He asked bringing a large sealed glass bottle out of the bag. Holding it up to the moonlight, something with _way_ too many eyes and a lot of tentacles stared at him. Flinching away, he put it back in the bag.

"What was that?" He asked

Mayuri's scowl deepened. "It's a monitoring device if you must know."

"A monitoring device?" Shunsui said. "Your daughter takes comfort in some really strange things Mayuri-kun."

Mayuri could tell by the other captain's face that he wasn't believing his story for a second.

"All right, all right, I wasn't being entirely honest. I did let me temper get the best of me. Instead of getting angry, I should have put Nemu and her spawn under observation immediately! Don't you see Kyōraku? This child will be like nothing anyone has ever seen before. If I hadn't let my temper get the best of me, I wouldn't have failed to seize the opportunity."

Shunsui frowned in puzzlement. "There have been shinigami and human hybrids before Mayuri-kun. I don't see how this one is any different."

"This one is not just the by-blow of some random human Kyōraku." Mayuri said feverishly "This child is half quincy! In all the history of the Gotei 13, there has never been an instance of a shinigami mating with a quincy. Not one. Ever! Those damned quincys were always too proud to mix with shinigami, looking down their noses at us and deeming themselves superior. This is the first time anything like this has happened and I almost missed it! We have a comprehensive database on all the ways a human/shinigami hybrid can turn out, but nothing like this. We shouldn't be wasting our time with this legal rigmarole Kyōraku, we should be taking this opportunity to learn everything we can!"

Shunsui picked up the instruments he had removed and put them back in the leather bag.

"So you were coming here tonight to take some samples and put that squiggly thing inside her?"

"It's not an ideal solution." Mayuri admitted. "I could much more if she were back in the lab."

"Really? Like what?"

"Lots of things." Mayuri said, smiling and rubbing his hands together. "I could put her in an isolation tank suspended in a nutrient bath with permanent shunts and catheters to take samples at regular intervals. The growth of the fetus could be recorded in real time with the installation of an internal camera, oh, or maybe by installing a transparent portal. And once the child is viable, there are so many experiments I could carry out, especially if I clone multiple specimens."

Shunsui had no reason to doubt the scientist's words now. Mayuri's eyes glowed greedily as he described what he would do to gain the knowledge he craved. He shoved the bag into Mayuri's arms.

"Go home Mayuri-kun." He said. "I'll let Byakuya-bo know where to send the bill for fixing the wall."

Mayuri glared at Shunsui in rage.

"You drunken fool." He hissed. "You have no understanding of what's truly important."

Shunsui calm gaze never wavered. He found it vaguely amusing that a man who would put his own daughter and grandchild in a glass tank would lecture him about what was truly important.

"Goodnight Mayuri-kun." He said.

Growling and cursing under his breath, Mayuri turned on his heel and exited the way he came. Shunsui watched until he disappeared into the gloom. He shook his head. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>Nanao gave Nemu a few last finishing touches outside the door leading to the Chamber of 46.<p>

"There you are." She said combing a few stray hairs back into place. "Perfect. Are you ready?"

Nemu gave a hesitant nod. "I feel nervous."

"You're going to do fine." Nanao assured her. She lightly touched Nemu's stomach. "How's the little one doing?"

Nemu smiled. "Last night, I think I felt him moving."

"Really?" Nanao said matching her smile. "So it's a he?"

Nemu smile grew wider. "Yes. Captain Unohana confirmed it was a boy when she examined me."

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Nanao asked.

"I have an idea." Nemu replied. "I'm not ready to decide for sure just yet."

Shunsui touched her on the shoulder. "If you are ready Nemu-chan, then there's only one last thing to do before we go."

Taking his flask out of his pocket, he opened it up and took a drink. It took a long time. The two women watching him began to wonder how he was able to drink so long without breathing.

"Ah! That hit the spot." He gave the flask to Nanao.

"Hold on to this for me Nanao-chan." He said. "I wouldn't want to be tempted to take a sip during the trial."

"It's empty." Nanao said with disgust.

"Oh?" He said reaching out for it. "Well in that case, I'll take it back."

Nanao snatched it out of his reach. "Never mind! Get moving before you're late!"

Chuckling, Shunsui took Nemu's arm and led her towards the entryway.

"Good luck!" Nanao called out behind them.

Nemu looked backwards to see Nanao waving encouragement. She looked up to see Shunsui smiling down at her. His face was confident and relaxed.

"Don't worry Nemu-chan." He said. "Everything's going to be all right."

Nemu still felt nervous as they entered the dark chamber. The council members were already seated, faces obscured by their screens. Shunsui was leading her to a pool of light on the right sight of the chamber floor. Standing on the left side…

"Mayuri-sama!" She gasped.

Shunsui put his finger to his lips. "Shhh."

If her father heard her, he gave no sign. After they reached the center of the light, Shunsui motioned for her to go forward. Mid way between their spot and Mayuri's was a smaller pool of light. She walked forward until she stood beneath it. She gave a deep respectful bow.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu." A voice boomed out. "You have been found guilty of violating Soul Society's law. Specifically, you have conceived a child with a member of the living world. There is no question of your guilt in this action. This trial is to serve the purpose of determining your disposition. Do you understand?"

"Yes council members." She said.

"You will be given a chance to give your testimony during the course of this trial." A different voice said. "For now, return to your defense representative."

Nemu said nothing, bowing again before returning to Shunsui's side.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, step forward."

Mayuri moved as the council directed, taking the position Nemu had left, also giving the council a respectful bow.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, do you claim responsibility for this woman as a member of your division?"

"I do council members," He said. "both as her captain and as her father."

"Your testimony will weigh heavily on what actions we decide to take with Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. Be sure to choose your words carefully to give us the greatest possible understanding of the situation."

"I intend to do just that, council members." Mayuri said. "In fact, I would like to point out that the council is already in error."

"Us? In error? In what way?"

Mayuri's grin flashed through the darkness.

"In the nature of my daughter's crimes, unfortunately." He explained. "This is not a matter of a simple indiscretion between a shinigami and a human, ladies and gentlemen. We are not dealing with the fate of only this mother and child. Instead, we are dealing with a threat. The child my daughter carries is nothing less than a threat to not only the living world, not only Soul Society, but to existence itself!"

The chamber filled with astonished murmurings, the council members leaning towards each other to absorb this shocking allegation.

"Explain yourself Captain Kurotsuchi." A voice called out. "How can one child threaten existence?"

"Think back." Mayuri said. "Remember how things were only 200 years ago. Do you remember existence being in peril then? The balance of souls had become badly out of alignment and the possibility of both the world of the living and the dead tearing itself to shreds was a very real possibility. Why? The Quincy. The arrogant, insufferable Quincy who refused to listen to shinigami wisdom. They didn't care that their destruction of hollows was throwing the universe off balance. We had no choice but to destroy them just to restore that balance. They earned the sentence we passed upon them."

"Why so you bring this up now, Captain Kurotsuchi?"

Mayuri's grin seemed wider than ever as he explained. He pointed his finger at Nemu.

"I remind you of these events, ladies and gentlemen, because Lieutenant Kurotsuchi bears no ordinary human's child. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's child is a Quincy!"

Mayuri had to shout to continue over the council's uproar. "She knowingly and willingly seeks to bring back that which almost destroyed the world! She is a traitor to Soul Society, a traitor to the shinigami! The only logical sentence for her is DEATH!"

Only then did he turn to look Nemu in the eye. Her heart almost stopped at the look of hatred mixed with triumph in his eyes. She looked up at Captain Kyōraku. He no longer looked confident and relaxed. His mouth was set in a grim line. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked down at her and managed a smile. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Don't worry Nemu-chan." He said. "Everything's going to be all right."


	3. Looking for Answers

**Summary:** To keep Nemu safe, Shunsui is going to have to come up with a plan to counter Mayuri's legal maneuvering.

Kyōraku Shunsui left Nemu's side to stand next to Mayuri.

"Defense respectfully would like offer rebuttal, council members." He requested.

One of the nameless voices of the council voiced their permission. "You may do so."

"Captain Kurotsuchi sure does paint a scary picture." He casually drawled. "However, ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about only one child. There were thousands of quincys all over the world during the crisis. I can't see one baby creating those same conditions. Council members, the precedent in cases like these is clear. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi should simply be banished to the real world to raise the child in peace."

"That would be a huge mistake." Mayuri countered. "Nemu will be fertile for many years to come. Given her apparently wanton and lascivious appetites, I have no doubt the one baby will quickly be joined by a dozen more."

Shunsui was careful to keep up his laid back, unconcerned pose.

"That may be." He conceded in a cool, relaxed voice. "That's still not cause for alarm."

"Not in this generation, perhaps." Mayuri said. "But what about the next? What if they have a dozen children each? And the next has a dozen? In a couple hundred years, we could be right back where we started!"

The murmurings from behind the council's screens rose again. Captain Kurotsuchi was making some excellent points.

"You are assuming the children will all inherit quincy powers." Shunsui replied. "Some hybrids do developed strong spiritual powers, but many do not. Most live their entire lives never realizing their heritage. How do you know this child's life won't be the same?"

"How do I know?" Mayuri asked while stroking his chin. He began to pace back and forth before the council as he went into lecture mode. "How do I know? You bring up very good point, Captain Kyōraku. With a regular shinigami/human hybrid, we are well aware of all the various ways their heritage can be expressed. Allowing them to grow up in the real world poses little danger. But this child may be something entirely different. A hybrid with powers unlike any we have ever seen or recorded before. How can we know such a child's capabilities? How can we ensure the safety of the world and allow this potential threat to live?"

He stopped dead center before the council seats and held up a finger.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the council, it occurs to me that the ideal solution to this disturbing problem, if we are remove execution from our options, is to release Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to my custody. I have the means to both ensure her bastard child poses no threat and will be able to precisely measure whatever abilities it may develop."

"No!" Nemu gasped in the background. Shunsui held up his hand in reassurance to quiet her.

"That is an interesting solution, Captain Kurotsuchi." He smoothly allowed. "Unfortunately, as defense, I do not find that acceptable. A child of the living has certain rights that may not be taken away, such as freedom of choice and free will. I believe your solution deprives the child of those rights."

"Rights must be balanced against the greater good." Mayuri declared.

"The greater good in this case is debatable." Shunsui countered. "It would be better to err on the side of justice and allow the child a chance of a normal life."

"If the child turns out to be a monster, there may soon be no life for anyone!" Mayuri argued.

"Enough!" declared the council. "Prosecution and Defense will stand aside. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, step forward."

Mayuri and Shunsui retreated back to their respective sides. Shunsui gave Nemu an encouraging smile and a wink as she walked past. It helped calm the butterflies in her stomach as she walked up to the council.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. You have heard the charges your captain has leveled against you. Are they true? Did you deliberately allow yourself to be impregnated? Is this part of a plan to bring back the quincy?"

"No council members." She said. "It's not true."

"Liar!" Mayuri shouted. "It was impossible for you get pregnant without removing the toxins in your body first! You HAD to have done that on purpose! How did you do it? When did you do it?"

"Objection, council members." Shunsui protested.

"Sustained. Captain Kurotsuchi, you have had your turn to speak. You will refrain from these outbursts. However, he does raise some interesting questions. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, how do you respond?"

Nemu shook her head. "I do not know council members. I do not know how the toxins were removed. I too thought I was unable to conceive. Had I known this was possible, I would have taken precautions."

She placed her hand over her abdomen. "Since it has happened, I do not regret it. I want this child. I want to give it the best life possible. I will gladly give up my seat as an officer of the Gotei 13. I will give up my powers as a shinigami and become a mortal. I will even give up my life if I must for this child."

"Why did you do this Lieutenant Kurotsuchi? As an officer of the Gotei 13, you knew the risks of engaging in a relationship with a mortal. What motivated you to take these actions?"

Nemu paused for a moment, considering her answer.

"Love." She said quietly. "I did it because I love him. He makes me feel special. Make me feel whole. I am not the person I was when we met. He has helped me to be stronger, shown me how good I can be. I would not take one second back from our time together. Nothing but good has come from knowing him, no matter what consequences I face today."

Her statement generated more whispers and rumbling from behind the screens. It went on for a long time. After it died down, another voice took up the questioning.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, your defense has stated you seek banishment to the real world as your punishment. What reason can you give us to justify this?"

"It is as Captain Kyōraku says." She replied. "My child belongs in the world of the living. He has the right to live in the real world and experience mortal existence. I would choose this even if I must raise him alone. I cannot allow him to be under Mayuri-sama's care."

She cast her eyes downward as she continued. "I have great deal of respect for my father. He is a talented and accomplished officer. I am grateful to him for giving me life. However, if I my child and I cannot be allowed to live in peace and freedom in the real world, it would be better for us both to die."

This caused a great deal of disturbance behind the council's screens.

"Are you telling us you would prefer execution to living with your own father?"

"Yes." Nemu declared, raising her head up high. "I don't care what happens to me, but I will not allow harm to come to my child. Oblivion would be a greater gift for him than the life of a test subject."

The murmuring went back and forth, raising and falling in pitch. Eventfully, they slowed and stopped.

"We have much to think about." The council declared. "We will need time to deliberate. You are to wait outside until you are summoned. Dismissed."

Bowing low, Nemu returned to Shunsui's side. He led her to the exit, Mayuri giving them a sour look as he left using a door at the opposite side of the chamber.

"Good job out there, Nemu-chan." Shunsui quietly said.

"I'm not sure if I made a difference." She replied

"It's hard to tell what's going on with those screens in front of their faces." He admitted. "Still, you'd have to be a rock to not be a little moved."

Nanao rushed up to greet them as they entered the hallway.

"So how did it go? What's the verdict?"

"Can't say it went well." Shunsui replied. "Mayuri-kun was cleverer than I expected. I fell right into his trap."

He explained to Nanao how Mayuri had called for Nemu's execution as a bluff, using it as an opening bid towards his real goal; gaining control of Nemu and the baby for experiments.

"Surely they won't rule in his favor?" Nanao exclaimed.

"It's possible." Shunsui admitted. "They don't know him like we do. Still, there's nothing we can do now but wait."

"I'll go get a chair for you Nemu-san." Nanao said "A woman in your condition shouldn't stay on her feet so long."

Shunsui's eyes lit up. "While you're out Nanao-chan, do you think you could bring me…"

"I am _NOT_ going to bring you back any saké!" She barked.

"But Nanao, I can't leave here." Shunsui whined. "They may call us back at any minute."

"I don't see how that's my problem." She said over her shoulder as she walked away. She turned a corner and was gone.

Shunsui sighed, head down, shoulders slumping.

"Ah well." He said to Nemu. "Looks like I have no choice."

Reaching deep into his sleeve, he pulled out a small silver flask.

"Fortune favors the prepared, eh?" He told her with a grin as he uncorked the bottle.

* * *

><p>It was a solid hour before they were summoned back into the chamber.<p>

"Captain Kurotsuchi, Captain Kyōraku, you have both made your positions in this case clear. We feel this is too complicated to make a ruling at this time. We are giving you three days to come up with presentations and witnesses to reinforce your claims. This is a serious matter that we will not judge rashly."

Both captains bowed low as they accepted the decision.

"Understood, council members." Shunsui said.

"Yes." Mayuri echoed. "Understood."

Glancing over, Shunsui saw Mayuri looking confident and relaxed. He wasn't upset by this decision. He probably felt more time was to his advantage. Shunsui was going to make sure that overconfidence cost him.

"What's going to happen now?" Nemu asked as they exited the chamber.

"Many things Nemu-chan." Shunsui replied. "I have a lot of ideas on how to proceed."

"Can I help?"

"You're going to be involved, certainly." Entering the hallway, he took out his phone. "Right now, I think I'll have Ukitake meet me to talk strategy over dinner. If his schedule's free, I could really use his help in the library."

* * *

><p>The Great Spirit Library was the repository of all the knowledge and history of Soul Society. Any shinigami action of significance was recorded there. If an answer could be found anywhere at all, it could be found there. If you had enough time.<p>

Captain Kyōraku was deep into the early history of the shinigami's interactions with the quincy. At times cooperative, at times hostile, even these early accounts showed the friction that would lead to the quincy's extinction. He had taken enough notes to write a book himself and it seemed like he'd barely scratched the surface. He had to find at least one good argument to knock down Mayuri's accusations. He had to prove Nemu's child was no threat. He was sure the answer was here somewhere. With so much history to sift through, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It wasn't his only avenue of attack. Captain Unohana was examining Nemu closely to see if there was a medical solution. Captain Hitsuguya was researching the real world to see if an answer could be found there. Everyone in Soul Society who knew about the case did their best to help. Still, Shunsui couldn't shake the feeling that the answer was somewhere in the books and scrolls on the shelves before him.

Several rows away, Ukitake tried to call out to him. "Shunsui. _Coff. Coff-coff_. Can you come over here?"

"You found something?" Shunsui called back.

"Maybe."

Shunsui hurried over. Ukitake was taking the opposite direction researching the quincy's history timeline, starting from the most recent and working his way backward.

"What have you got?" Shunsui asked as he approached.

"There seems to be a pattern over the last two hundred years or so."Ukitake said while holding out his notes. "I noticed that from the time of the crisis until very recently, the twelfth became increasingly involved in monitoring the quincy. As the quincies died out, Captain Kurotsuchi's people eventually became the only ones watching them."

Shunsui nodded. "That's how I remember it."

"Here's the odd thing I noticed." Ukitake said pointing to figures and diagrams he had worked out on his notepad. "As the twelfth division gained more responsibility, the quincy died out faster."

"Hmm?" Shunsui said raising an eyebrow. "I though they died under normal conditions. Disease, old age, hollow attacks and such."

"They do." Ukitake replied. "It's just that the number of deaths seem to accelerate under twelfth division's jurisdiction."

Shunsui furrowed his eyebrows. "None die while being monitored by other divisions?"

"Some, in the beginning of this period when others were involved." Ukitake said. "But as time goes on, that number grows smaller and smaller. Then, about one hundred years ago, the twelfth division takes over completely. The number of deaths by hollow attacks goes up dramatically. Quincys dying young and pregnant women miscarrying also go up."

"That sounds strange." Shunsui said rubbing his chin. "When the crisis was over, we were only supposed to monitor them. This makes it sound like someone was actively interfering with them."

Ukitake nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought too. The next logical step would be to review twelfth division's reports from that period. They should be in this stack. However…"

He waved his hand to indicate the empty shelf beside him.

"I have the volume numbers right here." Ukitake continued holding up his notes. "Unless they were illegally removed or destroyed, they must be stored in one of the library's restricted areas."

Shunsui nodded. "Let's take this back to Nanao-chan. This sounds like a job for that newfangled computer she's using."

Both men had long been captains before the strange modern devices were installed and neither felt comfortable using them. They had to admit they were pretty handy sometimes and encouraged their subordinates to use them. Nanao was deep into her own search on the library computer when they requested her assistance.

"That's strange." She said.

"Hmm?" Shunsui murmured.

"I'm being denied access." She said pointing to the angry looking warning on screen.

"Perhaps you don't have a high enough clearance." Shunsui suggested. "Maybe it'll let me in."

"Do you remember your login and password?" she asked staring at him.

He reached under his hat to scratch his head. "Er…um…"

"Never mind, I already know it." She said turning back to the computer.

The big red warning came up again.

"Is there a way around the restrictions?" Ukitake asked.

"I can try a specific topic search." She offered.

Still blocked.

"This is strange," Shunsui said looking over her shoulder. "What would they restrict from someone at my level?"

"I'm not done yet." Nanao declared pushing up her glasses.

She tried every trick she could think of to get around the restriction. Sweat began to bead on her brow as she typed in password after password, probing and testing the software's defenses. Always the result was the same. Access Denied. While Nanao was furiously typing in her latest attack, the screen suddenly went dark.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Did you break it Ise-san?" Ukitake asked.

"No, of course not Captain Ukitake." She replied as she flipped the power switch and checked the power cord. "It suddenly shut off. I can't explain it."

Suddenly , an onmitsukidō riteitai, a special forces courier, appeared before them. He knelt down on one knee and bowed respectfully,

"Captain Kyōraku and Captain Ukitake. I have been sent to relay the Captain-Commander's orders. He directs that you come to his office immediately."

The two men looked at each other.

"I don't think I did anything this time." Shunsui said.

"Are you sure." Ukitake asked.

His friend shrugged. "Pretty sure anyway.

They both followed the courier out of the library to comply with their orders.

"Don't worry Nanao-chan." Shunsui called out over his shoulder. "We'll be back before you know it."

They found Captain-Commander Yamamoto standing with his back to the door, looking out from his balcony, hands on his walking stick.

Ukitake bowed low as his superior turned around. "Good evening Sensei."

Shunsui was a more casual, though respectful in his own way. "You wanted to see us Yama-ji?"

"Kyōraku Shunsui."He intoned as he turned around. "It has been brought to my attention you have been searching for information on the twelfth division's involvement with the quincy. I am ordering you to stop."

Both the younger captains were shocked.

"You were the one who set up those blocks?" Shunsui asked.

Yamamoto nodded. "What happened all those years ago can be accessed only by my authorization on a need to know basis. You do not have a need to know. It is not necessary for your research."

"Sensei, how can you say that?" Ukitake asked. "As the representative for defense, Shunsui needs all the information he can get. Who is to say what information might help. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's life is at stake."

"I am well aware of what is at stake." Yamamoto replied. "Just as I am well aware of what is in the logs and files you seek. There is nothing there that can help you. As for Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, she would not be in this predicament if she had obeyed our laws. She brought this fate down upon herself. She will have to face the consequences. I have no sympathy for her."

"That's mighty cold Yama-ji." Shunsui said. "Rules don't fit every situation. That's why we have these trials. If I want to look at myself in the mirror I have to be able to tell her I did everything I could."

The Captain-Commander frowned. "Hmph! This case looks open and shut to me. No amount of digging into the past is going to change the fact that Lieutenant Kurotsuchi performed an illegal act."

"But Yama-ji…" Shunsui pleaded.

"Enough!" Yamamoto said striking the ground with his stick. "If you continue to seek information on the twelfth division, you will be banned from using the library entirely! Ukitake, I expect you to keep Kyōraku from being tempted to stray from this directive. Both of you, dismissed!"

The Captain-Commander turned his back on them. The two captains looked at each other with similar looks of disappointment and distress. They didn't understand why they had been ordered to ignore what may be a key part of their research and they didn't like it. Unfortunately, this was a direct order. What could they do? They both bowed to the old man's back.

"Understood, Captain-Commander." They confirmed.

They showed themselves out. Yamamoto did not turn around to watch them leave. They did not talk until they were well away from his office.

"So what now?" Ukitake asked. "Try researching in another direction?"

Shunsui shook his head. "We're not going back to the library. Information isn't stored only in books."

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Hello Nanao-chan? No, don't hang up! I'm not going to do that again, this is serious this time. Nanao-chan, can you meet me at the sixth division cell block? I think I need to talk to Nemu-chan."

* * *

><p>"You needed to see me?" Nemu asked as she sat down in the interrogation room. Shunsui, Nanao and Ukitake were already seated at the table.<p>

"We'll try not to keep you too long." Nanao said. "It's getting late and a woman in your condition needs her rest."

Nemu nodded. "I will do my best. Please tell me what you need."

"This is about what happened from around one hundred years ago." Ukitake explained. "It involved the twelfth division. It probably involved your father. It may even involve you. Are you comfortable talking about that."

Nemu shook her head. "No. I am not supposed to talk about twelfth division affairs to outsiders. I am not supposed to speak about Mayuri-sama when not in his presence. That is how I was taught. That is Mayuri-sama's rule."

"So you won't answer our questions?" Shunsui asked.

"I will" Nemu replied. "Mayuri-sama's rules are not as important as my child. Comfortable or not, if it will help, I will answer to the best of my ability."

Shunsui smiled. "That's the spirit." He said. He took off his hat and put it on the table. Reaching across the table, he took Nemu's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"I do not mean to pressure you Nemu-chan." He said. "I don't know where these questions will lead. I want you to know before we start that I will stop anytime you want me to. OK?"

Nemu nodded. "I understand. You may begin."

Shunsui took a deep breath. "Nemu-chan, what can you tell me about the time your division took over exclusive monitoring of the surviving quincy one hundred years ago?"

Nemu figured that was what they were going to ask. It was time. She would finally be able to start paying back Uryuu's people for the terrible crime her father had done to them. She had rehearsed over and over in her mind what she would say if she was ever in a situation where she could talk about the massacre of the quincy. It was going to be painful. She was not going to leave anything out, not even her own involvement. The shame and horror she would endure would be a heavy price. She was willing to pay it. She owed Uryuu that much and more. And it would be a relief to unburden herself after all these years. She opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out.

"Nemu-chan?" Shunsui said

She tried again. She had to tell them. She had to give them the information they needed. A rasping croak came out of her throat. She tried again. This time, a sharp pain stabbed through her head. It started around her eyes and quickly spread. It was as though a thousand razors were cutting into her brain.

"Nemu-san, are you alright?" Nanao asked.

Nemu couldn't answer. The pain was blinding. She stood up and clutched at her head.

"Captain Kyōraku, do something!" Nanao begged.

Nemu fought against the now omnipresent pain with all her might. She had to tell them. She had to tell them!

Shunsui and Ukitake sprang up from their chairs and dashed around the table. They were too late. Nemu gave a piercing, high pitched scream, sounding almost inhuman as she twisted and pulled at her hair with shaking, claw-like hands. Shunsui was just in time to catch her as she fainted dead away.

* * *

><p>Captain Unohana gently shut the door so as not to disturb her patient.<p>

"How is she?" Shunsui asked.

"She's sleeping peacefully now." Unohana replied. "Her body has taken quite a shock. You must never allow that to happen to her again. The strain could kill her."

"What did happen?" he demanded. "One minute she was normal, the next screaming in agony. How could asking her a question cause that?"

"It's a powerful form of post-hypnotic suggestion." She explained. "It seems she is blocked from telling anyone about twelfth division's classified information unless that person has the proper clearance or prior knowledge of the operation. If she tried to pass on information to an unauthorized party, her own body punishes her. I tested her by asking about several high value projects on which I had oversight. She could speak freely about them once she knew my level of involvement."

"How hard would it be to unblock her?" he asked

"It could take a day or two, it could take weeks." She replied. "It depends on how deeply Captain Kurotsuchi implanted the suggestion. I'll get started right away, but there is no guarantee it can be done quickly."

"Hmm." Shunsui said stroking his chin. "So if you know about it already, she can tell you, but if you don't know about it, you can't ask. Tricky."

He pulled the brim of his hat down low over his eyes and turned away, walking down the hall.

"Take good care of her Captain." He said. "I have one more source to check before I call it quits."


	4. Testimony

**Summary:** The trial begins in earnest with both sides making compelling arguments. Which will prevail?

Asleep in her cell, Nemu shifted and moved making small sounds as she dreamed.

"_Catch the ball." Nemu said as she rolled it towards the little boy. Barely able to walk, the child waddled excitedly towards the ball, his wide grin showing two little teeth. He stopped it with his chubby hands, giggling as he looked up to his mother. _

"_You caught it! Good boy!" Nemu crooned as she picked up the ball. "Did you record that Uryuu?" _

_Her husband smiled at her from behind the camera. "I got it. Let's try one more time."_

_Nemu smiled back. It was a perfect day for a picnic in the meadow, the sun bright overhead, a cool breeze gently blowing, and best of all, her wonderful family. Things couldn't be better. _

"_All right we'll try it again." She said. She bent over to roll the ball once more. The baby was missing. Looking up, she saw him toddling into the woods. How could the child have moved so fast? She had only taken her eyes off of him for a second._

"_No, don't go in there." She called out. _

_Not listening to his mother, the boy soon disappeared in the underbrush. _

"_I'll get him." She told Uryuu as she ran after her son. _

_Entering the woods, she couldn't see him. If he was crawling, he could be anywhere under the shrubs and ferns that lined the forest floor. She began a methodical search, pushing aside branches and tall plants, growing more and more frantic inside as she failed to find any sign of him. She began to call his name as she moved faster and faster, desperation fueling her search. Then she heard it. A carefree laugh only a toddler could produce. Running towards the sound, she was relieved to see him waving some leaves he had clutched in his chubby fists, giggling in delight. _

"_There you are." She said sweeping him up in her arms. "You scared me. Mama is very angry with you now."_

_The baby wasn't the least bit sorry, laughing and waving the leaves in her face. She couldn't really get angry at him. She hugged him close and kissed his cheek. _

"_We have to get back to Daddy now." She informed him. _

_She began to walk back the way they came, only to realize she couldn't see anything but trees. How had they gotten so deep into the woods? Clouds started pouring across the sky, making the forest dark. It made her feel uneasy. She picked the most likely direction and began to walk, the baby on her hip. The breeze began to pick up, making the trees creak and groan. She ignored the sounds even as they got louder and louder. The baby began to fuss. _

"_It's all right." Nemu said, bouncing him up and down. "We'll be out of here soon."_

_She didn't see any way out of the woods yet. The noises from the rubbing branches and flailing leaves were even louder now. In fact, she could have sworn she heard a voice. _

"_Nemu…"_

_She knew that voice. She feared that voice. She began to run. The trees and undergrowth seemed to be trying to hold her back, snagging on her clothes and tangling around her ankles. She pressed on, going as fast as she could without risking the baby. The voice was louder now, seeming to come from all around her._

"_You can't hide from me Nemu. I want what is mine."_

_He's not yours, she thought as she struggled to bring air into her straining lungs, he's mine! I won't let you touch him!_

_The baby began to cry, sounding impossibly loud, his screams echoing off the dense forest around them. Nemu struggled all the harder. The voice only laughed. _

"_You cannot escape me, you foolish girl. Give up and bring the child to me!"_

_She ignored the voice. She was so close to their goal. There! She could start to see it now. A gap in the trees ahead. A meadow bathed in light. Once she left the forest, they would be safe. Shadows raced beside her, their forms indistinct and terrifying. She focused only on the light ahead, clinging tightly to her child. She had to make it. Anything else was unthinkable. Still, even pushing her body to the limit, she seemed to get slower and slower, the sunny meadow never getting closer as the dark forms closed in. A shape appeared in the light before her. The familiar silhouette was unmistakable. Uryuu. She had to get to him. Together, they could keep their child safe. She had to get to him!_

She cried out in her sleep and woke up, her eyes flying open in terror. She laid on her bed in a cold sweat, staring at the ceiling as she gasped for breath, her pulse pounding in her ears. She'd been having dreams like that for days. Sometimes she would remember them, sometimes not. Perhaps it was only her mind reacting to her stress. She hoped it was nothing more.

* * *

><p>Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri took his place in the center of the chamber.<p>

"Ladies and gentlemen of the council." He began, "What my esteemed colleague will try to do today will be to persuade you that my daughter, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu, deserves to simply be allowed to leave Soul Society to live the rest of her existence as a mortal in the real world to raise her child. It is my duty as a captain and as a scientist to show you the danger such a short sighted and foolish action would unleash."

He began to pace back and forth, waving his hands to emphasize his points.

"As the council has generously allowed me more time to think about the situation, I see now that my initial call to have Lieutenant Kurotsuchi executed was an error. If anyone can be blamed for my daughter's misdeeds, it would have to be me. I did my best to raise her properly and ensure she would serve honorably as an officer of the Goeti 13. I tutored her in the sciences and in her duties and responsibilities as a shinigami. Alas, in my shortsightedness, I failed to teach my daughter about the honeyed lies and false promises men use to lure innocent and unsuspecting girls like her into sinful and illegal actions like that which brought her to this terrible fate."

He stopped in the middle of the room, spreading his hands out in appeal as he finished his opening statement.

"Council members, I intend to prove that the best course of action will be to return Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to my care not only to monitor and control this potentially monstrous new life form she carries, but also to make up for my mistake. I wish to atone for being a poor excuse for a father and not providing my daughter the tools she needed to recognize the vile, predatory actions of that loathsome quincy. By the end of this trial, ladies and gentlemen, I am sure you will be convinced to rule in my favor."

There was murmuring from behind the council's screens as they took in Mayuri's speech.

"Thank you Captain Kurotsuchi. You may stand down. Captain Kyōraku, step forward and give us your opening remarks."

Captain Kyōraku Shunsui squeezed Nemu's shoulder before casually ambling into place. He looked up at the council, sweeping his gaze from one side of the room to the other with a warm relaxed smile on his face.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the council. You sure did give me a tough act to follow. Captain Kurotsuchi is right on one thing. I am going to do my best to ensure Lieutenant Kurotsuchi gets the punishment she deserves."

Like Captain Kurotsuchi did, he also paced before the council seats, peering upward into the gloom as if he was making eye contact with the shadowy figures behind the screens, projecting confidence and certitude.

"Let us not forget council members, banishment is not a reward, it is punishment. Life in the real world is not as easy as it is here in Seireitai. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will have to suffer and struggle to get the necessities of life like food and shelter. She will be trapped in a weak, powerless body that is prone to disease and easily damaged. Her life will be short and filled with pain. She won't even have a guarantee her spirit will make it back to Soul Society when she dies. We all know the many ways things can go wrong with that. On the other hand, like all fitting punishments, it also gives her a chance at redemption."

He took off his hat and held it in front of his chest as he concluded.

"A good punishment should not only fit the crime, it should provide for rehabilitation and redemption. In the real world, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will spend her mortal existence learning, changing and growing. When she passes on, she may end up right back here in Soul Society, stronger and wiser. She may become a shinigami again, even more powerful and effective for spending time as a mortal. You may argue that there are many outcomes possible, not just this one, and you would be right. However, don't we owe Lieutenant Kurotsuchi that chance? She won't have the freedom to learn her lesson trapped in a glass tube in her father's laboratory. Not to mention that such a punishment also takes away the rights and freedoms of the child, the rights and freedoms we gurantee for all the living. I ask you members of the council, as you consider your ruling, be sure that the punishment you will bestow is both appropriate and humane. Thank you."

There was a pause as Shunsui went back to his side of the room, whispers and murmurs going back and forth behind the council's screens.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you will present your testimony first. Do you have any witnesses or experts who will testify?"

"None, council members." He replied. "Instead, I will be using this."

He set a plain grey cube on the floor. Giving it a tap, the square extruded rubbery, bird-like legs raising it off the ground. The top extruded a pseudopod that swelled then sprouted a large wide eye with a cat-like horizontal pupil. Turning the eye towards the ceiling, a strange light emitted from the device. Soon it was possible to make out images. The first was a static picture of Nemu in her uniform. Mayuri stepped in front of it to begin his lecture.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we all know that the amount of spirit energy a hybrid is born with is directly proportional to the strength of the shinigmai parent. Take this individual for example."

With a snap of his fingers, the picture changed to footage of Kurosaki Ichigo in action, battling first hollows then shinigami, finishing with his bankai transformation. The image then went to split-screen, displaying Kurosaki Isshin.

"With a strong shinigami for a father, Kurosaki Ichigo displayed his spiritual gifts quite early and is now captain class in strength and abilities. His two younger siblings display similar abilities and most likely will continue to grow stronger as they reach maturity. This leads us to ask, how strong is Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?"

With another snap of his fingers, footage of Nemu being run through her paces appeared. The council saw her running, leaping and lifting heavy objects. A graphic on the side displayed speed, weight and energy expended from her actions.

"As you can see, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi is unusually strong even for an officer class shinigami."

The images continued, showing her in a practice sparring session taking down an entire armed squad bare handed. It then switched to show her at kido practice, light blasting from her hands.

"I can guarantee any hybrid descended from Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will indeed be very spiritually gifted. The child may even develop full shinigami powers much like Kurosaki Ichigo. That would be the case with a normal human father. However, that is not the case in this instance."

The next image was a static shot of Ishida Uryuu.

"The father of this child is no ordinary human. Ishida Uryuu calls himself "The Last Quincy". Would that it were so. With the quincy gone, the lingering threat of existence once again being thrown out of alignment would be gone with them. My esteemed colleague has said that allowing one or two quincy to survive will have no ill effects at all on the balance between worlds. This might be true, if Ishida Uryuu were an ordinary quincy."

The image changed to show footage of Uryuu using his old bow, _Kojaku_, fighting hollows back to back with Ichigo.

"While it pains me to admit it, Ishida Uryuu is a genius of his kind. Most quincys fought as you see here, using their bow to destroy hollows at a rate of five or six shots per minute, a rate many couldn't maintain for long. This is a limitation he soon surpassed."

The footage changed to show Uryuu using his new bow, _Ginrei Kojaku_, striking down hollows by the dozens.

"Where before he could fire five or six bolts per minute, he can now fire five or six hundred! He is limited now to 1,200 consecutive shots. That's more destruction than a score of ordinary quincys could do working as a team for a year. He can even concentrate this ability to unimaginable effect."

Right on cue, Uryuu was shown using the technique of Licht Regen, unleashing a firestorm of arrows.

"He is also the master of techniques and abilities that we have never observed or known other quincys to be able to do."

Uryuu was shown using his force of will to change arrows in mid flight, using Gintō techniques to defeat enemies and wielding a Seele Schneider.

"Finally, he has the potential to actually become a transcendental form."

This brought a startled gasp from the council.

"Yes, it is indeed shocking." Mayuri said nodding and smiling. "The state of being beyond shinigami or hollow that Aizen Sōsuke sought, this talented young man could possibly achieve."

On the screen, the council watched as Uryuu removed his Sanrei Glove. Light danced around him as his form shifted and changed. The image froze showing Uryuu standing tall, a wave of reishi pouring into his body making it appear as though he had a wing on his right shoulder.

"This was something completely unprecedented ladies and gentlemen." He said gesturing to the picture. "The ultimate expression of quincy power. For a brief moment, the boy exceeded even the strongest captains to a degree I have yet to calculate. See here, how he absorbed matter directly from the buildings surrounding him. Even using bankai, I barely escaped with my life."

The footage resumed with Uryuu channeling all his energy into striking Mayuri down. After the fantastic explosion of light and smoke, the screen faded to black.

"Keep in mind council members, Ishida Uryuu's powers _are still growing_! Who knows what he may yet achieve? Perhaps he may perfect the ultimate Quincy form. Perhaps he may even move beyond, into the forbidden realm of transcendence. Some may say we owe this boy a debt of gratitude for the assistance he has rendered us fighting on our side against the rogue Aizen Souske and the arrancar. I say he is a menace as great as or greater than Aizen ever was."

He tapped the boxy device again to make it fold in on itself then turned back to the council.

"In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, is that what we wish to unleash upon the world? Ten more like that would be as disastrous as a thousand quincy. And if their number grows to be a thousand? We cannot take this risk. Council members, we cannot allow for humans with that level of power to multiply unchecked. For the good of Soul Society and the safety real world, I must have control of this child. Only then can I guarantee the nightmare of a quincy apocalypse will not befall us once again."

Mayuri bowed to the council and picked up the device, now a featureless cube again, and went back to his side. He grinned at the effectiveness of his presentation. The whispers from behind the screens had a worried tone.

"Captain Kyōraku, you may now testify for the defense." A council member announced.

"Well I don't have anything fancy like Captain Kurotsuchi's little toy." Shunsui admitted. "I'm doing this the old fashioned way with expert testimony."

"Very well," A voice allowed. "You may call your first witness."

"For my first witness, I call Captain Unohana Retsu."

The door opened in the rear of the chamber allowing Captain Unohana to enter. She made her way gracefully across the floor to join Shunsui, taking her place next to him with a smile on her face, bowing in greeting to the faceless council.

"Captain Unohana, as the chief medical officer of the Gotei 13, you have examined Lieutenant Kurotsuchi thoroughly?" Shunsui asked

"Yes, I have." She replied. "Both mother and child are strong and in good health."

She turned to smile at Nemu who couldn't help but smile back.

Shunsui continued. "Tell me Captain, in your examination of the patient have you found anything unusual? Is there any reason to feel the child may be a threat?"

She shook her head. "None whatsoever. The child is registering within developmental norms for a shinigami/human hybrid."

"So you would say that Captain Kurotsuchi's claim that this child may be some kind of monster are unfounded?"

"At this time, yes." She affirmed. "As far as I can tell, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will give birth to a healthy child with strong spiritual potential. I can see nothing to indicate it will be more threatening than any other hybrid child we've observed."

"Thank you Captain." Shunsui said. "I have no further questions."

"Permission to cross-examine?" Mayuri requested.

"You may do so." A council member replied.

"Captain Unohana." Mayuri began. "I can't help but notice you used phrases such as 'At this time' and 'As far as I can tell'. Are you saying that things could change later?"

The smile soon faded from Unohana's face.

"I have to allow for that possibility." She answered. "Later on, new genetic expressions may activate affecting the child's growth, although this is a low probability."

"So I may not be correct now, but I could still be right. The child could still grow into some kind of overpowered freak?"

"I cannot deny that it is a slight possibility." She admitted.

"What about the opposite?" He asked "What about the possibility of debilitating deformities?"

Unohana's looked decidedly upset now.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Unfavorable mutations." Mayuri clarified. "Incompatible hybridization, environmental pollution, plain old bad luck, any of these alone or in combination could produce a deformed, crippled offspring, could they not? Can you say this will not happen to Lieutenant Kurotsuchi? Isn't it possible she will give birth to something with malformed limbs, improperly functioning organs, brain damage that would make it a useless liability for the length of its wretched life?"

"Objection!" Shunsui protested. "Captain Kurotsuchi is clearly doing this simply to inflict mental anguish on the Lieutenant."

Indeed, Nemu was visibly upset by her father's questions, holding her abdomen protectively.

"I am not." Mayuri refuted. "This is a legitimate concern. If the child is born debilitated, it will need round-the-clock care, the kind my laboratory could easily provide. It is yet another reason to give custody of Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to me."

"Objection overruled." The council stated. "Captain Unohana, you must answer the question."

Although she frowned, Unohana obeyed.

"There is the possibility in any pregnancy for…"

"Simply answer yes or no, Captain Unohana." Mayuri interrupted. "Is it possible the child will be deformed?"

She glared at him, visibly angry.

"Yes." She said. "Although I must point out the error in your logic."

"And what would that be?" He asked

"If the child is born deformed and needing constant care, it would be far more likely they would be assigned to my custody. Permanently."

She gave Mayuri a triumphant smile. He sniffed and looked away.

"One last question." Mayuri said. "I have expressed to the council my concern that this couple will not stop at one child. What actions can we take to ensure this doesn't happen?"

"I'm not sure I follow." Unohana said.

"Sterilization." Mayuri stated. "To keep disruption to a minimum, we must keep the quincy menace from spreading. Can we surgically remove Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's ability to reproduce?"

Unohana was horrified. "Absolutely not! I will not perform any such surgery without the patient's consent! Even if I had consent, I would not be able to perform that procedure until after she has given birth and at that time she will most likely no longer be under Soul Society's jurisdiction."

"There you have it, council members." Mayuri said. "If the young fools want to repopulate the world with quincys, there is nothing we can do about it once Lieutenant Kurotsuchi becomes mortal. No further questions."

"Captain Kyōraku, do you have anything further to ask your witness?"

Shunsui sighed. "No council members, I do not."

"Captain Unohana. Thank you for your testimony. You may stand down."

Unohana bowed politely to the council, then made her way to the exit, glaring at Mayuri the whole way.

"Captain Kyōraku, you may call in your next witness if you have any."

"I do." Shunsui answered. "I call Lieutenant Sasakibe Chōjirō"

Hearing his name called, the First Division Lieutenant entered carrying himself with the dignity his years and position afforded him, bowing respectfully before the council.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe," Shunsui began, "the First Division is responsible for upholding the traditions and customs of the Gotei 13 and in fact created many of the institutions we honor today. Can you recall the time when the law forbidding shinigami to consort with humans was created?"

Chōjirō nodded his snowy head. "I was a low ranking shinigami at the time, but I can remember."

"Many shinigami had to be punished when that law went into effect, is that not true Lieutenant?"

Again Chōjirō nodded. "Drastic action had to be taken. Many shinigami were exiled or executed."

"Tell me Lieutenant Sasakibe, out of all the shinigami who were executed, were any of them female?"

"Very few." Chōjirō said.

"And why is that?" Shunsui asked. "Surely it wouldn't make a difference who violated the law? Why were males disproportionately executed?"

"For many reasons." Chōjirō said. "There were far fewer women offenders than men. Women were more likely to cease and desist once their behavior was found out. It was uncommon for women's case to be bad enough to warrant execution. When it did, it also depended a great deal on whether the female was pregnant at the time. Even if the mother had blatantly and knowingly violated the law, we still have to abide by the Gotei 13's charter."

"Really?" Shunsui said with feigned confusion. "How would being pregnant invoke the Gotei 13's charter?"

"We are forbidden to interfere with the lives of the living." Chōjirō stated. "While it is our duty to protect them from hollows and help maintain the balance of souls, we may not take direct action against the living without receiving an exemption from this council. Executing the mother would be the same as executing a member of the living world. We had no choice but to respect their rights as living humans and allow them to be born in the living world. Banishing the mother was the only real option."

"Banishment was the only real option." Shunsui repeated. "And has the law changed in any significant way?"

Chōjirō shook his head. "No, it still exists the same way it was originally written."

Shunsui smiled "No further questions."

"Permission to cross-examine?" Mayuri requested sourly.

"You may do so Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Lieutenant Sasakibe," He began, "You say that according to the Gotei 13's charter, shinigami may not take action against the living unless granted an exemption by the council. When was the last time an exemption was granted?"

Chōjirō was loathe to answer the question. Unfortunately, he had no choice.

"The last time we sought an exemption was the destruction of the quincy."

"The destruction of the quincy you say?" Mayuri said. "Aren't they living human beings? Why did we feel the need to interfere with their lives?"

"You know very well why we had to do that Captain Kurotsuchi." Chōjirō replied.

"Indeed I do." Mayuri said with a grin. "We had to get rid of them to protect the very fabric of existence. So let me ask you Lieutenant Sasakibe, what's difference in interfering with the quincy as a whole and interfering with this child?"

"We declared a truce with the quincy when their numbers dropped to a manageable level." Chōjirō said. "They now have the same right to non-interference as any other human."

"But that could change it if the quincy become a threat, could it not?" Mayuri pressed. Chōjirō scowled and kept silent.

"As the agent of prosecution, you are obliged to answer me Lieutenant." Mayuri insisted.

"Yes, if the child poses a threat to existence, you may petition to take any necessary actions." Chōjirō answered.

Mayuri's grin increased. "No further questions council members."

"Captain Kyōraku, do you have anything further to ask your witness?"

Shunsui shook his head. "No council members, I do not."

"Thank you for your testimony Lieutenant Sasakibe. You may stand down."

With a disgruntled glance at Mayuri, the old Lieutenant made his exit from the chamber.

"Captain Kyōraku, do you have any more witnesses you wish to call?"

Shunsui took off his hat and scratched his head.

"I thought I had a solid case for allowing Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's banishment with the expert testimony you've already heard." He said. "It looks like my esteemed colleague has made a strong rebuttal every time. I didn't want to take up your whole day council members, but it looks like I have no choice."

He put his hat back on his head and drew himself up to his full height.

"For my next and final witness, I call on the Last Quincy, Ishida Uryuu."

Nemu whipped her head around to the entrance behind her. Sure enough, there he was, walking in with his head held high.

"Uryuu!" She gasped

He glanced at her, giving her a quick smile as he took his place besides Shunsui.

"Council members, I must protest!" Mauri shouted. "By what right does Captain Kyōraku bring a member of the living world into these proceedings? It is highly irregular!"

"Hey, I didn't have much of a choice." Shunsui said holding up his hands. "It's not like there's a lot of quincys around these days. He's the only subject matter expert left. Surely you understand council members, I have to do everything I can to defend Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. You must allow Ishida-san to testify."

"Very well Captain Kyōraku" The council responded. "The quincy may testify."

You could almost hear Mayuri grinding his teeth.

"With all due respect council members, are you joking? This can hardly be called an unbiased witness. He is the father of Lieutenant Kurotsuchi child!"

"That's right!" Uryuu interrupted. "And I've come to take them home."


	5. The Verdict

**Summary:** The Council of 46 makes their decision. .

"Order, order!" A council member demanded. "Captain Kurotsuchi, you have already heard our ruling allowing the quincy to testify. Do not interfere. You will be allowed to cross-examine the witness later."

"Acknowledged council members." Mayuri snarled as he reluctantly returned to his spot. "You can be sure I will have many questions."

"So we're good?" Shunsui asked innocently.

"You may proceed Captain Kyōraku. Be aware we will not tolerate any more interruptions or outbursts."

"Understood council members." He replied with a bow. He turned to face Uryuu.

"Ishida-san, you are the last of your tribe, is that correct?"

"I am the last quincy." Uryuu replied.

"You are aware of your people's history with Soul Society? How it is you became the last of your kind?"

"Very aware."

"Then you can understand Captain Kurotsuchi's concern with this case. It would be only natural if you felt resentment towards shinigami. Isn't it possible that you would wish to resurrect your tribe? Maybe get revenge on those who wronged your people? Wouldn't using the daughter of your enemy for that purpose make your revenge all the sweeter? Is that your plan?"

Uryuu scoffed. "That is absolutely absurd. I harbor resentment against the shinigami, yes. But I have no wish for revenge. We Quincy are a proud people. Sometimes too proud. As the Christian Bible says, 'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.' No, the ancient Quincy earned their fate. They should have let go of their pride and listened to the shinigami. I agree with their sentence and forgo vengeance."

"What about bringing the Quincy back?" Shunsui pressed. "In agreeing the quincy deserved their sentence, do you also agree with Captain Kurotsuchi that bringing back the tribe would threaten existence?"

"Let me answer that with another question." Uryuu said pushing up his glasses. "How do you know you're not threatening existence by letting us die out?"

"I'm not sure I follow." Shunsui replied pretending not to understand.

"It's pretty simple when you think about it." Uryuu answered "The Quincy were given their powers for a reason. They fill an ecological niche. You can say we are pests, you may not even see any reason for us to exist, but when we are gone, it will be far too late to discover what role we played in keeping the spiritual realms in balance. You could find out that you need quincies very badly then. Wouldn't it be ironic in the future if you found out the people you hunted and killed for threatening existence were the only ones who could save it? What would you do then?"

"We cannot know what threats will present themselves in the future, Ishida-kun. We do know the threat from too many quincies is real. How can we be assured Captain Kurotsuchi's prediction will not come true?"

"My grandfather thought about this very question. He sought a new way for us to help in the struggle against hollows, a way for shinigmai and quincy to work together. I know he talked to delegations from Soul Society. His suggestions were rejected, but if you looked them up in your records and gave them another chance, you may see that they are good ideas, sound ideas, ideas that can serve as a platform for a new way that benefits everyone and helps maintain balance. I am committed to carrying out my grandfather's vision. The methods he sought to use that would keep the world in harmony are the ones I will use and pass on to my children."

He turned to smile at Nemu. Her heart swelled with pride. He was being so brave, standing tall and straight. answering forcefully with pride and courage. For the first time since the trials began, she felt safe and hopeful.

"Ah yes, the child." Shunsui said following his gaze. "Why did you choose Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to bear your child? Is it true you needed her to breed some kind of super quincy?"

Uryuu sneered at the thought. "That is absolutely absurd! If I wanted to, I could easily find dozens of spiritually gifted women to bear children. We have several in Karakura alone! With a little planning and a complete abandonment of morals and principals, I could simply trick an entire harem's worth of women into bearing the next generation of Quincy."

"What?" Nemu exclaimed.

"Not that I would ever do such a thing." He hastened to assure her. "No, there was no choosing involved. We fell in love. Simple as that. If there is any more to it, I would have to say its fate. That we were destined to find each other. I know shinigami believe in destiny. Let me follow mine. Let me take Nemu home. You know what I've done in Soul Society's service. I don't ask for any kind of reward or favor for that. I only ask that you look over how I've interacted with the Gotei 13. Look at the ties I have to the shinigami with Kurosaki Ichigo, with Abarai Renji, with Kuchiki Rukia, with Nemu. Do you think I would raise my children to harm my friends? Do you think their children would disrespect their ancestors by ignoring their wishes? I urge you council members, don't make the same mistake the ancient Quincy did thinking they alone were right. Take this opportunity to make a new beginning, one where shinigami and quincy work together in mutual respect and support. Let me take my family home."

Shunsui took out a handkerchief and wiped at his eyes. "You have to admit, the boy sure can talk." He blew his nose with a thunderous squawk. "No further questions."

"Very well. Captain Kurotsuchi, you may now question the witness."

"Thank you council members." Mayuri said as he strode up to Uryuu. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"As will I." Uryuu said. "Considering the Gotei 13's charter and all."

Mayuri abruptly stopped walking. "What did you say boy?"

Uryuu stood relaxed and casual, a wicked grin on his face. "I said, I am more than anxious to answer your questions, especially in light of the Gotei 13's charter."

Mayuri turned his back on the council and stalked up to Uryuu, going nose to nose with him. He spoke in a low voice that only Uryuu could hear.

"Just what the hell are you hinting at, boy?"

"I'm thinking no matter what you ask me, I should be able to fit in the little experiments you performed on my people when you were supposed to be watching over them."

"You can't prove anything." Mayuri hissed. "Not a single quincy died by shinigami hands."

"They certainly weren't protected by those hands either." Uryuu shot back. "I have no doubt a few accidents happened that might not have if someone else had been on watch. Not to mention what you did afterward."

"Nothing I did was illegal." Mayuri snarled. "There was no law prohibiting my experiments."

"Why would you make a law against something that never happened before?" Uryuu pointed out. "Do you think if the council were to see your records, they wouldn't have a problem with your methodology? What would you do if they start looking through your files?"

Mayuri gave a mocking grin. "They would find nothing. That information is hidden where they'll never find it."

"Really?" Uryuu said. "Maybe they can't find it, but what about her?"

Mayuri followed Uryuu's gaze to where Nemu stood.

"Well Captain? Does she know where it is? Do you think she would tell the council if I were to ask her to?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi." A council member sternly called out. "No private discussions with the witness. You must question him in a manner that allows us all to hear. Do you have any questions for the witness?"

Mayuri didn't answer. He stood with his back to them, shaking with rage.

"Captain Kurotsuchi?"

"No questions!" Mayuri snapped. He stomped back to his position ignoring Uryuu's triumphant grin.

"Very well. Ishida Uryuu, you may stand down."

Uryuu left the way he had came, held held high. His eyes met Nemu's as he walked to the exit. He held her gaze for as long as he was able, giving her a confident smile. She kept her eyes on the closed door a long time after he had gone.

"Captain Kyōraku, Captain Kurotsuchi, come forward." Both men met in the center of the room before the council. "Do you have any other witnesses or evidence you wish to produce at this time?"

"None, council members." They replied.

"Very well. We will hear your closing statements at this time. You may begin Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Nothing I have seen or heard has changed my opinion." He began. "There is nothing to assure us that we won't be facing a newer, deadlier breed of Quincy in the next century. When that happens, will you, Council of the 46, have the nerve to issue the extermination order again? If you do, will we be able to wipe them out? Think about that as you make your decision."

Mayuri returned to his side of the room.

"Captain Kyōraku, you may now make your closing statement."

"Captain Kurotsuchi may very well be right." He drawled. "We may be witnessing the birth of an improved and more powerful breed of Quincy. If that's so, doesn't it make sense to have them on our side? If you order Lieutenant Kurotsuchi into her father's custody, you may contain this incident with this child. That doesn't mean you can stop the boy from having more. Not unless you are willing to order his execution. And you can be sure, if you take the Lieutenant away from him, his future descendents won't forget what you did. Ishida Uryuu already interacts and assists the Gotei 13 in ways no Quincy ever did and has helped us out a lot. Shouldn't we encourage this cooperation to grow? Won't that only help us in the long run? Do the right thing council members. Let this family stay together."

Shunsui returned to Nemu's side. He gave her pat on the shoulder for encouragement.

"We have heard both sides of the case and require time to deliberate before reaching our verdict. You will have a one hour recess. Return at that time."

They all bowed and made their exit. Nemu was careful not to look at her father. She wanted nothing to shake the feeling of hope she had in her heart.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"Now, we have lunch." Shunsui replied. "Nanao should have something ready for us by the time we get back to the sixth division compound."

Nanao was waiting for them at the door when they arrived.

"Nemu-san, I have a surprise for you." She said taking Nemu's hands. "Right this way."

It wasn't that much of a surprise. Leading Nemu to the interrogation room, she opened the door to reveal Uryuu waiting for her.

"Hi." He said with a nervous smile. She bowed her head, suddenly shy.

"Hi." She replied.

"Is that okonomiyaki?" Shunsui asked as he entered the room. "It smells delicious."

Nanao grabbed his collar and yanked him backwards.

"Get out of there!" She scolded. "Can't you give them a few minutes alone?"

"But Nanao-chan," he whined, "I'm hungry..."

His protests were cut off by Nanao closing the door. Nemu and Uryuu looked at each other, neither one sure of what to say. The silence began to feel awkward.

"So…" Uryuu began. He waved his hands towards her, not sure how to go on.

"So..." She repeated. They fell silent again. Nemu took a deep breath. "I'm glad to see you here. It made me very happy to hear what you said. I want you to know I won't hold you to it. I know raising a family is difficult in the real world and you did not ask for this. I release you from your responsibility. I will not try to make you care for us."

Uryuu rushed across the room and put his finger to her lips.

"Shhh. Don't say things like that. I don't want to be released. I want you to be with me."

He pulled her close and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around his neck returning his embrace. They stood that way for a long time.

"I was going to tell you myself." She whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry you found out this way."

He pulled back a little to look at her face.

"It was a bit of a shock." He conceded. "Captain Kyōraku broke it to me as gently as he could. It was still a lot to take in."

Indeed, he was more than happy to accept a shot or two from Shunsui's flask after he was told. He put his hand over Nemu's stomach.

"It's still hard to believe." He said smiling. "So I'm not the last quincy anymore, eh?"

"Maybe." Nemu said. "He may have shinigami powers like Kurosaki-san."

"Bite your tongue." Uryuu responded. "The world doesn't need another loose cannon like Kurosaki running around."

She laughed a little at his indignant tone. "So what are we going to do now?" She asked.

"We'll do what we can." He said stroking her cheek. "We'll make it work out somehow. Together as a family."

She smiled as he pulled her closer, welcoming his lips as they came together for a kiss. It seemed a though it had been years since the last time. The world seemed to shrink away leaving just the two of them. And one more.

"I can't wait anymore, Nanao-chan." Shunsui complained as he opened the door. "We only get one hour to eat." He spotted they young couple still locked in their embrace.

"Hey, hey, enough of that now." He said breaking them up. "That's how you got it in this mess in the first place. Let's sit down and eat our lunch, all right?"

Blushing, they did as they were asked, sitting side by side to eat.

* * *

><p>"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu, step forward."<p>

Nervously, Nemu took her place before the council, bowing respectfully. She could hardly breathe. She had to keep telling herself that everything was going to be all right. No matter what, everything was going to be fine.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, this council as examined all the evidence, deliberated on the testimony given and reviewed all pertinent laws. Are you prepared to receive your sentence?"

"Yes, council members." She replied.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, as we have already established, you are guilty beyond any question of doubt of fraternizing and illegally conceiving a child with a member of the living world. For this transgression, you will be stripped of your rank, removed from your position in the Gotei 13 and banished to the mortal realm. Do you understand this sentence?"

She could hardly believe her ears. They were letting her go. They were setting her free to be with Uryuu.

"Yes council members." She acknowledged, tears of joy in her eyes. "I do understand."

"Are you people insane!" Mayuri bellowed. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Be silent Captain Kurotsuchi." A council member ordered. "Her banishment will be conditional. She will be under surveillance from one of the division of the Gotei 13 for the rest of her life."

"Then my division will take that responsibility." Mayuri said.

"I don't think so." Shunsui said. "It's too much of a conflict of interest. Besides, people might get the wrong idea if something were to happen while her family was under your watch."

Mayuri whirled to face Shunsui. He could tell by the man's face that he knew. It had to be that damned quincy! He told Shunsui about his experiments. So he was going to use that against him now? He could see he had no choice but to back down for now.

"This is a farce." He snarled as he headed towards the exit. "You'll be sorry you didn't listen to me. You'll see!"

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you have not been given permission to leave. If you do not return immediately, you will be held in contempt!"

He ignored them and continued out the door, slamming it as he left. The murmuring from behind the screens was loud and angry at this display of disrespect. After a minute or two if quieted down.

"Captain Kurotsuchi will be dealt with later. The division responsible for monitoring Kurotsuchi Nemu will be the one currently responsible for patrolling Karakura town. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, you will now be released to the first division for disposition. You and your counsel are dismissed."

Nemu bowed low, then turned to leave. She had to fight to keep from running. Shunsui joined her, walking calmly by her side as they left the chamber. Nanao and Uryuu were waiting for them in the hallway, nervous anticipation on their faces.

"Well?" He asked.

She broke out in a huge smile. "I'm to be banished."

"You are?" He asked stunned. "You mean we did it? We won?"

She could only nod. Uryuu began to laugh in triumph over their victory. He held out his arms. She rushed into them, laughing along with him as they embraced. Shunsui went to stand my Nemu, smiling as he watched the happy young couple.

"You did it Captain." Nanao said looking up at him. "I'm proud of you."

"Really?" Shunsui replied, his hand slowly reaching around her shoulders. "Then I suppose you wouldn't mind…"

She rapped his knuckles with her fan.

"Don't push it."

* * *

><p>"Enter." Captain-Commander Yamamoto said without looking up from his paperwork. He looked up as Shunsui entered and stood before his desk. They exchanged the usual greetings.<p>

"What did you need to see me about Kyōraku?" He asked while signing another form.

"Yama-ji, I found out why the twelfth division's files are classified." He answered.

Yamamoto stopped writing. He leaned back to meet Shunsui's eyes. They were filled with sadness and accusation.

"Why did you let Mayuri-kun kill off the Quincy?"

Yamamoto sniffed. "There is no evidence that any shinigami was directly involved in the death of the Quincy after the truce came into effect."

"There are many ways, through action and inaction, that he could have caused their deaths." Shunsui pointed out. "Isn't that what the reports show."

"You could spot such a pattern if you were so inclined." Yamamoto conceded.

"Perhaps even if you were not inclined." Shunsui countered. "Why else would you hide the records? Why did you let him do it Yama-ji? It had to be obvious to you after a while. You saw the reports every day."

"Have you forgotten those times Kyōraku?" Yamamoto asked. "We were all living in terror wondering how much longer the very fabric of reality could hold out. It looked as though we were seconds away from the end. The Quincy were a danger we could not allow to return. Their extinction was fate."

"What about now?" Shunsui asked. "It looks like Ishida-kun will be reviving that threat. Isn't that fate too? Or are we going to take him out as well?"

Yamamoto looked away. "I will abide by the council's decision. If the Quincy become a threat once again, we will deal with them at that time."

"With Ukitake watching over them it's a lot less likely they'll just conveniently disappear this time."

"So be it." Yamamoto huffed. "It is no longer my concern. If you are quite finished, I have work to do."

"One last question, Yama-ji." Shunsui said. "Did you know what Mayuri-kun was doing with the Quincy after they died?"

"No." The old man stated flatly. "I did not."

"But I bet you had your suspicions, didn't you?"

Yamamoto's silence was all the answer Shunsui needed.

"So what are you going to do about him?"

"Nothing." Yamamoto said. "There were no laws broken. This is all in the distant past. We have no need to dig up old problems and Captain Kurotsuchi is far too valuable a resource to throw away."

"This goes against everything we stand for Yama-ji." Shunsui protested. "We are supposed to help people and protect them."

"And how would we protect anyone if the whole of existence is tipped into the void?" He shot back. "We have to make hard choices sometimes Kyōraku. Sometimes they are not fair. We do what we must for the greater good. Now if you will excuse me, I have to complete my work and make preparations for tomorrow."

Shunsui sighed. "Yama-ji…"

"Enough!" Yamamoto said his eyes blazing. "I will not discuss this with you anymore. Good_night_ Kyōraku."

Shunsui lowered his head in defeat. "Goodnight, Yama-ji."

His heart weighed heavy in his chest as he walked home. He still had a lot of love and respect for that old man. He knew Yamamoto had done a great deal of good in his time and was the very foundation for all their traditions and customs. Still, there was a wide gulf between them. Yamamoto was from another time. His values and beliefs were very different, almost alien. He truly believed what he had done was right and nothing Shunsui could say was going to change that. Yes, he still loved that old man, but he was very disappointed. It's hard for anyone to see their hero was just another flawed being with feet of clay.

* * *

><p>Nemu looked over her uniform one more time to make sure nothing was out of place. This was going to be the last time she would wear it. Taking a deep breath, she entered the assembly hall. Every captain and lieutenant was lined up on either side of the room in their respective spots. She took a good look at all the familiar faces. Faces she may never see again. They all looked back at her, some with smiles, some with sad faces, some completely unreadable. She noticed the gap right away. No one was standing in the twelfth division's place. Her father was not there. Letting her breath out, she marched up the center of the room to stand before Captain-Commander Yamamoto. She bowed low in greeting. He nodded back shallowly in return.<p>

"Captain Unohana, please come forward." He ordered.

Leaving her position, Unohana stood at Nemu's right side, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu," He continued. "Because of your crimes, you are here today to be discharged from the Gotei 13 prior to your banishment to the mortal world. Do you have anything to say?"

She shook her head. "No Captain-Commander."

"Then surrender your badge of rank." He commanded.

Lieutenant Sasakibe came forward. Nemu bowed to him and removed the badge from her left arm. She placed it in his hands. He bowed as he received it and stepped back to his place at Yamamoto's side. Nemu felt a pang of regret go through her. She hadn't expected giving up her rank would affect her that much.

"What crimes is he talking about, Ken-chan?" she heard Yachiru whisper behind her. "Nemu-chan didn't do anything bad did she?"

Kenpachi hissed at her to be quiet.

"Does this mean she has to go away?" She asked with a quaver in her voice.

"Hush." Kenpachi growled.

Yamamoto glared at them for interrupting the ceremony. He continued. "Kurotsuchi Nemu. You are no longer a Lieutenant. You are no longer a shinigami officer. You are no longer a member of the Gotei 13. You are relived of all your duties and responsibilities. Go forth from this place to receive your punishment."

Nemu bowed low again in farewell. Yamamoto nodded to acknowledge her. Unohana touched her sleeve.

"Please follow me." She said.

Nemu turned around to exit the hall. She took one last look at everyone to seal their faces into her memory. The men's faces were closed off, displaying no emotion. Matsumoto, Isane, Nanao and Kiyone looked very sad. Yachiru was crying, huge tears rolling down her chubby cheeks. Unohana gestured to her to start walking. As she marched, she once again stared at the gap where her father should be. She forced herself to look forward and keep moving.

"Yachiru! What are you doing?" Kenpachi barked.

"I'm going too!" She shouted. Nemu kept her eyes forward. This was already so hard.

"Let go of me Ken-chan!" Yachiru sobbed. "Put me down! Put me down!"

Nemu could hear the sound of Yachiru's fists as she struggled to get free. She couldn't help herself. She looked back to see Yachiru hitting Kenpachi in the face as hard as she could. He bore it stoically with no expression as he held her tight. Yachiru stopped when she saw Nemu looking at her, holding out her arms towards her in supplication still struggling to get out of Kenpachi's grasp.

"Oni-chan!" She cried her red face wet with tears. "Oni-chan!"

Nemu covered her face and hurried out the door. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how hard it was going to be leaving the ones you loved.


	6. Leaving the Nest

**Summary:** Nemu leaves for the real world not knowing things have not gone well with Uryuu and his father.

Unohana knocked on the door. "Are you ready? She asked.

Nemu slid the door open in response. She was dressed in a loose blue maternity dress and a white cardigan. Her suitcase was in her hand.

"I am ready" She said stepping out into the hallway.

The actually decommissioning had taken days. Physically, most of the enhancements Nemu possessed would be lost in the transfer although Unohana had kept careful notes. Mentally, it was a different story. Mayuri had left more than one booby trap in her mind to prevent anyone from learning his secrets. There were things Uhohana had learned that thoroughly sickened her. It was small wonder Nemu had been coming to her for months to deal with her screaming nightmares. She wished she could keep Nemu longer. She had endured so much at Mayuri's hands, it was amazing she could function as well as she did. Unfortunately, there was no time left. Nemu had to leave for the real world today.

They walked down several staircases, headed for the lowest level of the fourth division compound. Once there, they entered a little used cellar. In the back was a large thick door reinforced with iron straps. Unohana used an ancient bronze key green with corrosion to unlock it. This revealed a tunnel crudely hacked through the bedrock. Following the captain for what seemed like a mile, Nemu was surprised to emerge into a deep cavern. She put her suitcase down and looked around in amazement.

"Here it is." Unohana said gesturing at a gigantic crude arch in the back wall with her hand. "The ancient portal of banishment. It took a lot of power to create. I'm not sure how the old ones did it."

She pointed to what appeared to be benches and seats built into the cavern's walls. She had a distant look in her eyes as if seeing something far away that made her sad.

"There used to be a ritual they would perform. The shinigami would gather and mock the unfortunate soul who disgraced his rank and was facing exile. They would usually bring the victim out confined with a heavy wooden yoke and force them to walk through a gauntlet of officers kicking and tripping them. They wanted to make an example of them to keep others from straying from the rules. I'm glad we live in a more enlightened time."

She turned to Nemu and smiled. "I have set the coordinates to Karakura town. Your man should be waiting for you when you arrive."

"What will it feel like?" Nemu asked. "Will it hurt?"

Unohana shook her head. "No. I understand it's sort of a prickly, electrical feeling, but no real pain."

Nemu put her hand on her stomach. "What about…?"

"No." Unohana said with a chuckle. "He won't be harmed. This has happened before and the babies always turned out fine."

Nemu stepped closer to the portal. "I walk through that gate and I won't be a shinigami anymore. We'll both be just regular humans."

"I wouldn't say that." Unohana said. "Remember, this may give you a human body and lifespan, but it cannot change your soul. Especially the little one. You may end up powerless and disconnected to the spiritual realm for as long as you live, but who knows what may happen with your child?"

"I should be happy." Nemu said. "I'm going to be with the man I love. I'm going to see my child growing up free. I _am_ happy, but there's something else. I want to go, but I don't want to go as well. I'm confused."

Unohana put her arms around Nemu and drew her close. She wasn't surprised to feel her shaking.

"You're afraid." She said. "That's normal. You're taking a big step leaving everything you know. There's nothing wrong with being afraid."

Nemu hugged her back, squeezing tight. Uhohana rocked her back and forth.

"It's all right." she crooned. "It's all right."

After a minute, Nemu let go wiping her eyes. "I am ready now."

Unohana gave her a gentle smile and went to the side of the gate, activating the controls. Nemu picked up her suitcase and stood before the portal. A low hum filled the cavern building up from the floor, vibrating through the soles of her feet. A point of light formed in the center of the arc, growing and spreading until it filled the entire space.

"You may proceed." Unahana announced.

Nemu bowed to her. "My thanks to you Captain Unohana. Goodbye."

Unohana returned her bow. "Farewell Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. I wish you a long and happy life. And I want you to know, I am very proud of you."

Unohana's smile filled Nemu with warmth and hope. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the light. Unohana monitored her progress. When she saw Nemu had entered the real world, she shut the portal down. She paused for a moment to take a handkerchief from her haori to dry her eyes before leaving the cavern.

* * *

><p>It was as Unohana said. The feeling was uncomfortable, but not painful. Nemu rushed through the strange tunnel of light focusing on the painfully bright exit. It seemed to take both a long time and no time at all before she stumbled out into the real world. The first sensation she felt as a human was the cold wet shock of a downpour. She held up her palm and looked up at the dark sky. She had made it.<p>

"Nemu!" Uryuu called. He was standing under a streetlight holding an umbrella. With a happy cry, she dropped her suitcase and ran to him. She eagerly threw her arms around his neck and joyously kissed him. Breaking free, her smile quickly faded as she got a good look at his face.

"Uryuu, you're hurt!" She cried. He had a bruise on the left side of his face. She held out her hand to heal him…then realized she couldn't. She stared at her hand for a moment, stunned. Uryuu gently took it and gave it a squeeze.

"Ryuuken and I got into an argument." Uryu explained. "It didn't end well."

Nemu noticed that Uryuu was carrying a backpack. Something in his face said they would not be going back to his old house.

"What are we going to do now?" she asked.

Uryuu smiled. "I'm not entirely without resources you know." He handed her the umbrella and went to go pick up her suitcase. "Let's get something to eat, then I'll take you to see a friend of mine."

Doing her best to keep him dry, Nemu walked by his side holding the umbrella as he led the way.

* * *

><p>The shot glass made a hollow thunk as Ryuuken put it down on the bar.<p>

"Another." He ordered.

The bartender obliged, filling the glass with another shot of whiskey. Ryuuken picked it up, contemplating its warm brown color, light shining off its liquid surface. His throat still felt the burn of the last one. He was going to keep this up until he couldn't feel that burn anymore. He looked at his left hand lying palm up on the bar. It was like he had never seen it before. Like it wasn't even a part of his body. The hand of a stranger. He was a doctor. His hands were instruments of healing, tools he used to treat wounds, to save life. How could he have used this hand to strike his only son? Uryuu's angry words still echoed in his ears.

"_I will not abandon her Ryuuken!" Uryuu shouted._

"_She is not your concern. You shouldn't have been dealing with the shinigami in the first place."He replied_

"_She's carrying my child!"_

"_If you had listened to me in the first place, this wouldn't have happened. She's the shinigami's problem, not ours. Let her deal with whatever punishment she receives and stay out of it."_

"_Don't you care about your own grandchild?" _

"_I care about my child, Uryuu. I care about you throwing your future away. I didn't work hard all of my life raising you just to see you waste yours."_

"_It's my life to live and I will spend it with the woman I love."_

"_Love? You're still a child yourself. What do you know about love?"_

"_A lot more than you do apparently. No wonder mother left you!"_

That's when it happened. Without even thinking, his hand seemed to float across his field of vision, striking Uryuu across his face, knocking him to the ground. His son looked up at him, hate and rage in his eyes. He got up slowly.

"_I'm leaving." He announced. "I'll come back for the rest of my things later."_

He stalked off to his room quickly filling a backpack with clothes and necessities. Ryuuken stayed frozen in place. Uryuu didn't look at him as he half ran from the house. Ryuuken wanted to stop him. One word would have done it. If he could get Uryuu to stop, get him to talk, they may still sort things out. One word. He couldn't do it. He could do nothing but watch as his only son angrily slammed the door behind him. The image of the door slamming played over and over in his head.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be, he thought. Uryuu was supposed to be free of this madness. He was supposed to grow up normal, go to school, become a doctor, have a real life. He did everything he could to steer his son away from the insanity of dealing with the spiritual world. How could he not resent the boy's defiance? First he learned the quincy arts behind his back, then he became friends with the shinigami, getting tangled up in all their affairs, and now? Now he was actually going to father a child with one? He slammed the whiskey down his throat, put the glass back on the bar and closed his eyes. His hand clenched into a fist. This wasn't how it was supposed to be!

An arm wrapped itself around his shoulders.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me it was boy's night out?" Isshin said as he gave Ryuuken a squeeze and shook him around. "Bartender! I'll have what he's having."

"What the hell are you doing here Kurosaki and how did you find me?" Ryuuken demanded.

"I heard congratulations were in order _grandpa_." He replied with a wink. "And as to how I found you, well, I had a little help."

"Good evening Ishida-kun." Urahara said with a grin, dressed for once in a suit, his tie loose and his collar unbuttoned. He looked at the whiskey Isshin held with interest.

"I'll have one to those too."He pointed at Ryuuken. "Put it on his bill."

"To the next generation!" Isshin shouted holding his glass high.

"To the next generation!" Urahara echoed as he clinked his glass with Isshins. They both downed their drinks and set the glasses on the bar gasping at the strong drink made its way down. Ryuuken sat in silence fuming.

"So, Uryuu-kun told me you're going to be a grandfather soon." Urahara said. "I know it's a little sudden, but it's not really a bad thing. Don't you agree Isshin?"

"If you ask me, it kinda nostalgic." Isshin said with a knowing smirk. "Remember the last time this happened?"

"If either one of you says 'Like father, like son', I'll kill you both." Ryuuken warned. "And it's not the same. I was just finishing up my degree when that happened. He isn't even done with high school."

"Still, you were pretty happy when you found out." Urahara asserted. "And after all your talk about never having children."

"I should never have had children." Ryuuken said, his voice beginning to slur. "I was supposed to be the last Quincy. The line was supposed to end with me! Uryuu was a mistake."

"Hey, take it easy." Ishhin said, his eye widening in alarm. "This is your son we're talking about. You can say he was unplanned, but it's a little harsh calling him a mistake, isn't it?"

"I should have had more control." Ryuuken insisted. "I was resigned to living my life alone forever. I wanted the Quincy to end."

"But you were so much in love." Urahara said with a nostalgic smile. "It was like something out of a fairy tale when you two met."

It certainly had been, Ryuuken thought. He never believed in love at first sight, but that's exactly what happened. One look and he was dumbfounded by her beauty, lost in her dancing eyes and yearning for the merest touch of her hand. His courtship had been earnest and sincere. When he was with her, the world was paradise. He missed her so much.

"Did you ever tell Uryuu the truth?" Isshin asked.

"What does it matter?" Ryuuken said bitterly. "He never knew her. Why bring it up that he killed her."

"Ryuuken!" Urahara rebuked. "A woman dying in childbirth is not the same as a child killing their mother."

Ryuuken knew that was wrong, even as he had said it. He wished he didn't feel that way and most of the time he didn't. Sometimes though, he couldn't help it. Uryuu's coming into the world had taken away the woman he loved. Worse, he had stood there watching as her chain of fate stretched and broke, her spirit roaming free around the operating room, terrified and confused. She begged and pleaded with him to help her. With Isshin powerless and Urahara forced to hide from Soul Society, there was nothing he could do. All he could do was keep her safe from hollows while he waited for the town shinigami to show up and perform konso. He didn't show up for days. All the while she wailed in grief and loss. She told him just before she left that she wished she had lived long enough to hold Uryuu in her arms. She made him promise to take care of him. He'd done his best. He took another wife to care for Uryuu, although he did not love her. He would ever allow another into his heart. That's why she left. Despite all the material comfort he provided, she couldn't take it anymore and left while Uryuu was very young. He never knew that was not his real mother.

"You're right." He admitted. "I'm sorry."

"So what are you going to do now?" Isshin asked.

"Uryuu-kun was pretty upset when he called" Urahara said. "Are you going to make thing up with him?"

"He made his bed, he can lie in it." Ryuuken answered.

Urahara shook his head. "I offered to help him you know, and he turned me down flat."

"Typical Quincy stubbornness." Isshin said gesturing to the bartender for another round.

"I don't want to tell you how to be a father..."Urahara began.

"Then don't!" Ryuuken interrupted. "Not either one of you! _You_ let your son wander around getting into trouble and he dragged _my_ son into it. And _you_, you were too much of a coward to even start a family. Don't you dare stand there and presume to lecture me on how to raise my son!"

"Chill out man." Isshin said making conciliatory gestures. "I know you're a better father than me, but he's your kid, not your puppet. He's going to follow his own path. That's the point of raising them anyway, so they can be their own person. Besides, have you considered that maybe this was meant to happen? Not just this, but Uryuu's birth too. It could be the Quincy are not fated to die yet."

"You shinigami and your constant prattling about 'fate'." Ryuuken sneered. "There is no fate! There are only the choices we make and their consequences. It's my fault all of this happened, not fate. I'm sick of hearing about it! Now if you both would be so kind as to go away and leave me alone, I would appreciate it."

Isshin and Urahara glanced at each other. Urahara shrugged.

"Well, we tried." He said downing his shot.

"Thanks for the drinks." Isshin said as he finished his whiskey. "You know you can call us if you feel like talking later."

"Go to hell." Ryuuken replied.

Shaking their heads, Urahara and Isshin made their exit, swiping the bowl of snacks from the bar on their way out. Ryuuken slugged down his whiskey.

"Another." He ordered.

"Are you sure about that sir?" the man asked. "You've already had quite a few."

"I said give me another." Ryuuken insisted.

The bartender obliged with a worried look on his face. Ryuuken had been behaving himself so far, but that could change at any minute. You never knew with those quiet types.

Ryuuken bowed his head over his drink, the weight of the world seeming to press down on his shoulders. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Morishita-san." Uryuu apologized.<p>

"Nonsense." The old man said. "The grandson of Ishida Souken is always welcome here."

Morishita Hideki, owner and proprietor of the Karakura Inn, sat on a stool behind the counter in the lobby of his ancient hotel. The walls were dingy with age and the formica floor was yellow and curling at the edges. The furniture, decorations and construction were all decades out of fashion. Uryuu and Nemu stood before the counter, a puddle of rainwater collecting at their feet.

"Last time I saw you, you were still in short pants. So you need a place to stay?" Morishita asked. "That should be no problem. I have a room on the second floor available. The elevator is out though. Will that be a problem?"

Uryuu gratefully shook his head. "No Morishita-san, that won't be a problem."

"Did this young fella tell you what his grandfather did for me in the Korean War?" Morishita asked Nemu as he took a key from the board behind him. She shook her head.

"We were both sailors assigned to ScaJap for the Inchon landing. Have you ever heard of that?"

Again she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't remember anything like that."

Morishita sniffed. "I'm not surprised. Everybody seems to have forgotten about it." With a noticeable limp, he led them down the hallway as he talked. It was in worse shape than the lobby with peeling wallpaper and flickering overhead lights.

"ScaJap was short for the Shipping Control Administration Japan. We supplied the logistics for the United States Navy. Can you believe it? One day you're fighting somebody to the death, next day you're best buddies."

Uryuu and Nemu glanced at each other when he said that sharing a secret smile. Their situation was somewhat different, but they could relate.

Morishita continued. "Admiral Joy himself said we were essential to their success. We sailed LSTs the Americans gave us. You know what LSTs are?"

Again, she shook her head. Morishita rolled his eyes. "Modern education. LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. You could sail it right up to the beach and drop off troops, tanks and supplies. No need for a dock, the front opened up and you offloaded directly. Me and Souken were helping take a load of tanks and marines into Inchon to cut the North Korean forces in two. Can you believe they took offense at that? They actually started shelling us! The nerve."

His eyes took on an unfocused look as he went back in time in his mind. "A shell hit amidships setting us on fire. It was the most terrifying thing you could ever see. We had the hoses out and were taking care of it as best we could when a Yak-3 strafed us. I didn't even see it. Souken told me later. The plane kicked up a lot of shrapnel. Some got me right in the leg. Next thing I know, I'm down and Souken is yelling at me to hold still. He actually sewed my leg shut right there on the deck. He saved my life that day. I would have bled to death without him. He saved a lot of other guys too."

He shook his head. "Well enough of my woolgathering. The room is up this way."

He continued to talk as they went up the stairs. "There's no furniture I'm afraid. I can get you some bedding out of storage for now."

"That's fine Morishita-san." Uryuu said.

"Here we are." Morishita declared. He turned the key in the lock. It squealed with rust and disuse. It was a simple studio style apartment, one large room with a separate bathroom. The kitchen was built into the back wall. There were two large windows on the right hand side.

"It hasn't been used in quite a while. I really should dust it first."

"That's OK." Uryuu said. "If you show me where your cleaning supplies are, I'll take care of it."

"OK." Morishita replied. "You know, you two are the only young people here. This place is mostly filled with retirees and people on a fixed income. It does me good to see a young couple in here. When did you get married?"

Uryuu and Nemu blushed as they avoided his eyes.

Morishita chuckled. "Well it's none of my business. I'll go get you that bedding"

"Morishita-san. About the rent?"

"We can work that out later." He replied. "For your Grandfather's sake, you can stay as long as you like."

"I appreciate that, but it wouldn't be right to stay here without paying." Uryuu insisted.

Morishita laughed. "Just like your Grandfather. Always worried about your pride. Don't worry. We'll work out a satisfactory arrangement I'm sure. For now, you just worry about getting your little family settled in."

Uryuu bowed as Morishita left the apartment. "Thank you sir."

He also gave thanks in his heart for Souken. He was still helping him out in his times of need. It made Uryuu feel like he was still there watching over him.

It didn't take long for them to clean the apartment. There was a lot of dust, but Uryuu quickly vacuumed while Nemu wiped down the surfaces. It wasn't perfect, but satisfactory. The bedding Morishita supplied was an old futon set with a duvet and pillows. Although it was clean, it smelled of mothballs. Nemu changed into her nightgown and joined Uryuu beneath the covers. The rain beats against the glass of the windows. Uryuu put his arms around her. She put her head on his shoulder.

"Well, here we go." Uryuu quietly said as he stroked her hair. "The beginning of our life together."

"Do you find it a little frightening?" Nemu asked.

Uryuu laughed a little. "I find it a lot frightening. I'm going to be a father soon. I'm going to have to take care of a family. That's pretty scary."

This made Nemu feel better. It was good to see she wasn't the only one. She lay there in his arms listening to his heart beat, listening to the patter of the rain, listening to the creaks and groans of the old building settling.

"It's so quiet." She said.

"Hmm?" Uryuu responded. "What do you mean?"

"I can't feel anything." She tried to explain. The words were inadequate. "I can't feel any background spiritual energy. I can't detect any hollows or plusses. I can't even detect you. Is this what it's like to be human?"

Uryuu frowned at the ceiling. "I don't know." He had been able to detect spirits for as long as he could remember. He had no idea what was normal for other humans.

"I don't like this." Nemu said clinging tighter.

Uryuu thought he could understand. Even when he lost his Quincy powers, he still could detect spiritual entities. He had never been completely cut off. He imagined it was similar to losing your sight or hearing.

"You can't detect anything at all?" He asked.

Nemu forced her mind to stillness. She remembered the mental reflexes it took to feel the environment around her. It seemed like they simply didn't respond, like a paralyzed limb. She did her best to relax. Force was not the answer here. She stretched out her senses desperate to feel even a hint of what used to come so easily to her. She felt nothing at first. The silence stretched on for endless moments. Then, she felt a flicker. It was familiar and close.

"I can feel something." Nemu announced. She put Uryuu's hand on her stomach. "I can feel him."

Uryuu smiled as he felt her body under the thin cloth of her nightgown. Her belly was starting to grow. It would be noticeable soon.

"How does he feel?" He asked.

Nemu closed her eyes in concentration for a moment.

"He feels happy." She said.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong> The manga will probably show my theory about Uryuu's mother is totally wrong, but oh well. The show must go on.


	7. Joined Together

**Summary:** Nemu and Uryuu get started on their new life together. So do you think Mayuri is simply going to accept this situation and move on with his life? I don't think so…

Nemu jerked awake and scrambled to her feet. She had to get to the bathroom. Now! She circled in place, unsure about where she was, let alone where the bathroom was located. Uryuu woke up as well, quickly putting on his glasses.

"Nemu, what's wrong?" He asked.

She put her hand over her mouth. Answering him would definitely not be a good idea. Memory came flooding back. They were in their new apartment. That would put the bathroom right over…_there_!

Jumping over Uryuu, she flung open the door to the toilet and knelt down just in time to get violently ill. Uryuu followed her in and held her hair back. Though it felt like a long time, it was soon over. Uryuu went to his backpack and found a handkerchief. Wetting it in the sink, he offered it to her. Gratefully, she accepted it, wiping off her face. Uryuu sat on the cold tile floor next to her, holding her as she shuddered from the after effects of her sickness and the chill.

"It's like this for you every morning?" He asked.

She nodded. "It may go away in a few more weeks. It may not stop at all."

"I'm sorry." Uryuu said. "I hate to see you suffer."

Nemu shook her head. "It's all right. It will all be worth it when the baby is born."

She smiled as she put her hand over her stomach. Uryuu smiled as well as he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Come on," He said getting up, "let's go get something to eat."

Getting dressed, they went to a small diner down the block. They took a booth in the back and ordered sparingly, Nemu's stomach still being upset. Uryuu frowned as he put away his wallet.

"We're not going to be able to afford this for long." He stated. "Besides food, we need to find a way to pay for the apartment, get furnishings, set up the utilities, all kinds of things. I don't think I can do that and still go to school."

Nemu grew alarmed by his words. "You're not thinking of dropping out?" she asked.

"I don't see what choice we have." He replied. "Even though graduation is only a few months away, there's no way we can live off what I have saved until then."

"I have some money as well." She said as she rummaged around in her purse. "The Gotei 13 issues a onetime lump sum living allowance to all banished shinigami. It's supposed to be enough to allow the exile time to get established. They also convert the exile's savings into the local real world currency and add that to the allowance."

She handed him a checkbook with the most recent balance. "Will this be enough?"

He looked at the total listed. His eyes bugged out.

"Nemu, this is enough for a family of four to live on for about four years!"

"I had a lot saved up." She responded. "So you are not going to drop out of school?"

"I can't take this from you." He protested returning the checkbook. "This is your money."

"No," she argued, "it's both of ours. We're a family now, right? That means we work together and we share what we have. This allowance is supposed to help me get started on my life in the new world. I want to use it for our family."

Uryuu had to take a second to absorb that. Was he allowing his pride to get in the way? It was true, he would gladly share anything he had with Nemu. Was it so bad to have her supporting him?

"With this much money, finishing school should be no problem." He admitted. "I can look for a job after that."

Nemu shook her head. "I don't want you to get a job after graduation. I want you to go to college."

Uryuu frowned. "College costs a lot. Even if we skimp, this won't last forever."

"Captain Unohana gave me thorough briefing on living in the real world to include job seeking and building a career." She informed him. "You will be in a better position to get a job with a proper education."

"What about you?" He asked. "This money was given to you so you could prepare yourself for your new life in the real world. Aren't you going to want to use at least some of it for yourself? What do you want to do?"

She grew thoughtful at that. "I don't know. I had thought about working as a scientist here, but everything I know from Soul Society is very different from real world science and technology. Some of the principles we use don't even exist here."

"You don't have to work as a scientist." He pointed out. "You can try something else. Don't you have other interests? Isn't there something else you always wanted to do?"

"I'm not sure." She said. "I never thought about it before. We don't have to decide now. I'll have time to think about what I want to do while you go to school. For now, I'm only worried about you and 'him'."

Uryuu smiled as she looked down. He knew who she was referring to.

"How is he doing down there?"

"He's doing very well." She replied with a smile. "I've been monitoring him for some time now."

Using the twelfth division's lab, she had surreptitiously monitored the baby's growth although she had to be careful to prevent Mayuri-sama from catching her using the equipment and to keep her analysis off the computer's logs. It had been much easier when she was sent to the fourth division for decommissioning. Captain Unohana allowed her to use their laboratory as much as she liked. It wasn't as advanced as Mayuri-sama's lab and she had made several improvements in her time there. Still it was adequate for her purposes. She put her hand over her stomach at the memory.

"He's growing much faster than a shinigami. Slow for a human."

Uryuu pushed his glasses higher on his nose. "Do you think he'll keep growing like that now that you are here?"

Nemu smile faded away. "I don't know."

This worried her. Without the proper equipment, how was she going to continue monitoring his growth? Despite the unusual rate, he seemed to be healthy and strong, but there was little information on the growth and formation of human/shinigami hybrids and no information at all on how quincy heritage might affect things. She was completely at a loss as to how she would be able to rectify the situation. She made an effort to push it from her mind. It would drive her crazy with worry if she let it. Uryuu's next question helped a lot.

"Have you thought about a name?" He asked quietly.

"Souken." She answered decisively. "His name should be Souken."

Uruu was surprised. "You already decided?"

"I thought about it every day since I found out I was pregnant." She said. "It is only right that he should be named Souken."

Uryuu supposed it could be worse. She could have decided on Mayuri.

"You don't have to decide now." He said. "We can get some books, look at some other names."

Nemu shook her head. She reached across the table and took his hand. "This is what I want Uryuu. I know I can never bring your grandfather back. I can never replace him either. The least I can do is to honor him this way. Of course, he is your child as well. If you really do object, I will listen to you. But I really want this, Uryuu. For both our sakes."

Uryuu squeezed her hand back. He was touched by the sincerity in her voice. "If that's what you want. Souken suits me just fine."

They dropped into a companionable silence as they finished their meal. It lasted all the way back to their apartment.

"Well, I'll have to get ready for school." Uryuu said as he got his uniform out. He took off his street clothes and started putting in his uniform. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll have more than enough to keep me busy." Nemu replied. "I am going to list all the things we need for the apartment and spend the rest of the day shopping."

"Don't do anything strenuous." He warned as he finished up getting dressed.

She smiled at his concerned look "Don't worry. I won't pick up anything heavy if I can't have it delivered."

"Be careful anyway." He said as he headed out the door. He stopped for a moment as if he had forgotten something. Stepping back inside, he put his arms around Nemu's waist and pulled her close for a kiss.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She said with a grin. "Now go. You'll be late for school."

He laughed, but did as he was told. It made Nemu glad to see him so happy. She stood looking at the door long after it had closed.

She slowly turned around as she looked at their new home taking in the bare walls and uncovered windows. It was so empty, so quiet. She went to her suitcase and began to unpack it. There was a metal box with her forged documents in it. Birth certificate, National Health Insurance card, high school diploma, passport. All proof of a life she never lived. She read the description of her official identify. She was still called Kurotsuchi Nemu, aged 18 apparently, and as far as she could tell, she had never been outside of Karakura's prefecture. A normal life, but somewhat sheltered. She put the box in the closet.

There was another box in her suitcase. This one wasn't supposed to accompany her. Exiles were not supposed to bring personal belongings with them when they were banished. Unohana had allowed it. She saw no harm in letting Nemu keep her memory box. She looked the other way when Nemu added it to her luggage. It was a plain wooden box, nothing you would notice. She opened it up, glad to see the little treasures she had stored away had made the transition. Yachiru's crayon drawings remained bright and cheerful, the empty medicine bottle from so long ago, meaningless to anyone but her, still a solid, weighty reminder from her past. She would show it to Uryuu later she decided. She put that box in the closet as well.

Finally, she went over to the bathroom mirror and took a good look at herself. She looked the same as she did wearing a gigai. Yet, it was not the same. There was no way for her to leave this body. She looked at her hands. They were slim and fine boned but strong. They would never be used as a drill. Never be able to smash through rock. They were simply human hands. Her legs, while long and supple, would never propel her several stories into the air. They would never outrun a speeding train. Probably not even allow her to outrun most other people. Simple human legs. There was nothing superhuman about her strength, hearing, eyesight or anything else anymore. She was simply a human being. Nothing else.

"I am a human." She said to her reflection in the mirror. She liked the sound of that. "I am a human!" She declared. The thought gave her an incredible sense of freedom. She was no longer a shinigami bound to duty and regulations, no longer her father's servant. No longer an artificial construct, viewed as less than a real person. She was a human now, with all the boundless possibilities that came with it. It was a good feeling. She smiled at herself in the mirror. She felt an echo to her emotions coming up from deep inside.

"Are you awake now, Souken?" She asked pressing her hands to her stomach. "It's the start of a new day for us. Are you ready?"

Obviously the child wasn't going to answer. He was simply happy his mother was in a good mood as he floated safe and warm inside. Smiling, Nemu took a pen and notebook out of her suitcase. What did they need to get first?

* * *

><p>Akon took a deep breath before knocking on the door. There was no answer to his tentative raps.<p>

"Mayuri-sama?" He called as he opened the door.

Poking his head into Captain Kurotsuchi's office, the smell hit his nose first. It was a foul combination of unwashed bodies, stale air and some weird chemical stench. His eyes adjusting to the gloom, he saw his captain face down unconscious at his desk, a tall beaker of some dark liquid still clutched in his hand. Akon entered warily, balancing a tray of food in one hand. Mayuri didn't move as his made his way to his boss's desk. Akon carefully moved a stack of papers aside on the desktop to make room for the tray. After setting it down, he made his way behind the desk. He gingerly reached out and shook Mayuri's shoulder.

"Mayuri-sama? Mayuri-sama, I brought you something to eat. Mayuri-sa…!"

The captain burst from his chair seizing Akon by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted "Don't ever touch me!"

Akon turned his head away to escape the awful smell of Mayuri's breath thick with the odor of whatever it was he had been drinking as well as the horrifying sight of his bloodshot eyes. He'd never seen Mayuri like this before. His hair was wild and unkempt, his makeup was flaking off and he badly needed a shave.

"It's me Mayuri-sama." He choked out. "I just came to bring you some food."

Sanity returning, at least a little, Mayuri let him go. Akon stumbled a bit as he tried to keep his footing. Mayuri turned his back on him and went back to his desk, falling into his chair.

"I don't want any food." He said. He reached out to the beaker on his desk and took a huge swig.

"You have to eat something Mayuri-sama. You haven't left this room in days."

Mayuri ignored him, resting his elbows on his desk, his face in his hands. Akon tried a different approach.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto asked about you again, Mayuri-sama. He says you have missed too many meetings and you are falling behind on your workload."

"Workload?" Mayuri slurred. "Not a single one of them can do what I do. If they're not happy with my workload, then let's see them try it!" He gulped down even more of the dark fluid.

"Mayuri-sama, please. You must stop this." Akon begged. "Everyone if getting worried about you."

"Ha! That's rich." Mayuri barked. "Worried about me? What a load of codswallop. I know what they're really thinking. They're against me. They're all against me. Now take this swill and get out of here."

"Can I do anything for you?" Akon asked.

"You can get the hell out!" Mayuri shouted leaping to his feet and throwing the tray at him. Akon ducked, so the tray flew past him to clang against the wall, food going everywhere. He got down on his knees and picked up the tray and the broken dishes. Balancing the load on one hand, he made his way out. He paused at the door and looked back at his commander swaying unsteadily on his feet.

"Please, call me if you need anything Mayuri-sama. Anything at all."

Mauyri's reply should have set the air on fire. He stared at the door long after Akon had left. At last, he went back to his chair, sprawling into it as if utterly exhausted.

"They're all against me." He whispered. "The only one I can trust anymore is me."

Seizing the beaker with both hands, he poured the odd concoction down his throat until sweet oblivion reclaimed him.

* * *

><p>Nemu turned away from her unpacking when she heard the door opening.<p>

"Welcome home." She said as she went to the door to give Uryuu a kiss. He returned it with a smile, all the while holding a rectangular box. He also wasn't taking off his shoes for some reason.

"Come inside." She said pulling on his free hand. "Let me show you what I bought for the apartment today."

He shook his head and stayed in the entryway.

"I've got a surprise for you." He said handing her the box.

"You didn't have to give me anything." She replied

"I want to give this to you." He coyly responded. "It's something special just for you."

"What is it?" She asked giving the box a shake.

"Open it and see." He said with a grin.

Kneeling down, she did as he asked. First, she undid the ribbon, then took off the top. Underneath were layers of tissue paper. Pulling them aside, she saw folded white cloth. Pulling he garment out of the box, she got back on her feet to hold it out in front of her.

"It's a dress." She exclaimed. "It's so beautiful."

Indeed, it was a beautiful dress, white and flowing with blue stripes in a pattern all around culminating in a Quincy cross on the bodice. The silky material seemed to weigh hardly anything and was sensuous to the touch.

"Do you like it?" He asked. "I made it just for you."

She hugged it against her body imagining how she would look wearing it.

"I love it." She replied.

"I'm glad." He said. "It's a traditional Quincy wedding gown."

She looked up at him in surprise. His eyes had a faraway look to them as he kept explaining.

"We lost so many of our traditions and rituals. So many things that didn't get written down or were lost. There used to be an entire Quincy wedding ceremony that no one else had ever seen. All gone now."

He reached out and touched the dress.

"At least we still have this. For as long as I live, I will do my best to pass on what we do know so this much as least is never forgotten."

He looked into her eyes with a smile, returning to the present. "Nemu, if it's all right with you, I would be honored if you would wear this gown for me tonight."

"You want me to put this on?" She asked

"More than that." He said. Slowly, he got down on one knee and reached out to take her hand. "Kurotsuchi Nemu, will you marry me?"

Nemu though her heart had stopped beating. She was caught totally by surprise. It took her a few seconds to gather her wits. Then it took another few seconds to gather her breath. When she could finally talk, she found her response was as natural as it was easy.

"Yes, Uryuu." She answered, "I will marry you."

Uryuu whooped as he sprang to his feet and fiercely embraced her.

"The dress, Uryuu!" Nemu reminded him. "Be careful of the dress!"

He didn't seem to hear as he turned around and yanked open the door.

"She said yes!" He yelled down the hallway.

To Nemu's surprise, his shouts were answered. Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad and even Keigo and Mizuiro had been waiting outside the whole time. They swarmed into the apartment shouting congratulations and reaching out to shake her hand as Nemu twisted and turned to protect the dress.

"We have to be going now." Ichigo announced as the boys left the apartment dragging Uryuu with them.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Nemu asked.

"You'll see." Uryuu replied as he allowed himself to be led away.

"We're staying behind to help you, Nemu-san." Orihime explained.

Rukia was busy pulling various items out of her backpack.

"Let's get you changed, then we'll take you to your fiancé." She said. "It'll all make sense when we get there.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for them to get to City Hall after Nemu finished getting ready. Uryuu and the rest of the boys stared as she walked in the door, Rukia and Orihime bringing up the rear.. Not only did the dress fit perfectly, Rukia and Orihime had given her the matching shoes, gloves and the veil held in place with a silver tiara.<p>

"You look beautiful." Uryuu murmured.

Nemu ducked her head, shy from all the attention. Still, she couldn't help but notice Uryuu had changed as well.

"That's not like your usual Quincy robes." She said. "It looks magnificent."

While his clothes were the usual white with the Quincy motif, the cloth was much heavier, the embroidery more elaborate.

"This is the traditional dress uniform." He explained. "It's too stiff and heavy to be practical for fighting hollows, but it has a certain charm. Are you ready to get married?"

"Now?" She asked

"Why not?" He replied.

"It's very sudden." She said. "I wasn't expecting anything like this."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." He said. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

Nemu thought about it. Being with Uryuu was all she had wanted before. She had never dared to dream she would ever marry him. She had never thought about what her wedding would be like or plan on how it would go. She couldn't see any reason not to get married this way.

"Let's do it." She said with a nod of assent. "Let's get married."

All of their friends clapped and cheered.

"Right this way you two." Ichigo said as he held open a door.

"Are you crying Asano-san?" Mizuiro asked.

"My contacts are slipping, that's all." He answered.

"You don't wear contacts Asano-san." Mizuiro pointed out.

"Shut up!" Keigo sniffled.

Nemu was suddenly struck by a thought.

"Uryuu, don't we need the proper forms before we can get married? I believe that takes a long time."

"Don't worry." He assured her. "I got some help."

Entering the judge's chamber, Nemu saw exactly where their help was coming from. It was strange seeing him in regular clothes.

"Everything seems to be in order." The judge said as he sat behind his desk peering through his thick glasses at the stack of forms in his hands. "Are you sure you want your son to get married this young?"

"I realize seventeen is a bit young," Urahara said "however he will turn eighteen in November. That's only a few months away. Oh, and here they are now."

"Welcome the both of you." The judge said jovially getting up from his chair and waving them closer. "Please step right this way. What…interesting outfits you have on. If you and your friends will gather around, I'll go over how the ceremony is going to proceed."

Urahara already knew his part. He sat down in a chair against the back wall.

"He's going to be furious when he finds out." Yoruichi said from her seat on the chair next to him.

"Don't be silly." He replied. "There's no way Isshin could have pulled this off. I was the only logical candidate."

"You know that's not who I'm talking about." She admonished. "Ryuuken will kill you when you see him again."

Urahara nodded in sad agreement. "That's the other reason I kept Isshin out of this. I'll be the only one taking the heat for this."

"Did you at least try to talk to him?" She asked.

"He's not talking to either of us anymore." He replied. "He won't answer my calls, ignores my e-mail, and has somehow managed to avoid me when I try to see him in person."

"Standing in for Ryuuken is pretty serious. You're bypassing his authority as a father." She pointed out.

"I know." He sighed. "I probably should have turned Ishida-san down when he asked for my help. I just didn't have the heart. It does seem unfair that only a few months can keep them from getting married. If I could have convinced Ryuuken to do it, I would, but as it stands…"

As it stood, he was probably going to lose one of his oldest friends. It was something he was prepared to deal with despite the pain.

"I have to admit, they do look happy Kisuke." She said leaning against him.

He gave a murmur of agreement. Joy and pride shone in the young man's face, and Nemu seemed to be lit from within. His pleasant reverie came to a screeching halt at what Yoruichi said next.

"Have you ever thought about doing something like that?" she asked.

"Y-you mean…get married?" He replied.

"Or at least have a baby." She clarified.

"A…a baby?" He choked out.

"Think about it." She crooned. "A cute little bundle of joy to comfort us in our old age. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Urahara was rescued by the judge.

"If you're ready Ishida-san, we can begin the ceremony."

"We'll talk about this later." Yoruichi whispered as he got up to take his place.

He did not reply. Looking back, he could see her grinning from ear to ear. He tugged at his collar which suddenly seemed too tight and tried to focus on the ceremony.

* * *

><p>"Here we are Mrs. Ishida." Uryuu said as they made it back to their apartment. He unlocked the door and opened it. Nemu tried to enter, but he stopped her.<p>

"This is not a quincy tradition. It's something we imported from abroad."

Sweeping her up in his arms, he carried her across the threshold. Carefully maintaining his balance, he closed the door with his foot. Even now that he was inside, he didn't put her down.

"We did it." He said. "We're now officially husband and wife."

She embraced as best she could in her position, holding him tight.

"Yes, we are. I never thought I could be this happy."

Letting go, she looked again at the ring on her finger. It felt warm. Almost alive. Uryuu followed her gaze.

"I think grandmother would have liked you." He said as he put her on her feet. "I'm sure she would want you to have her ring."

"It feels so different." She observed as she ran her finger along he metal tracing the Quincy motifs etched into its surface.

"It has been handed down from generation to generation for centuries." Uryuu said. "It was supposed to have been made by my ancestral grandfather, a master weaponsmith, as a gift for his new wife. Maybe a little bit from all those quincies rubbed off on it. And now it's yours."

"I'll cherish this." She declared. "I'll never take it off."

He gave her a naughty grin. "For what I have in mind, you don't need to take it off."

She glanced up at him surprised and giggled. He reached out to her and she eagerly embraced him. They melted into one another, lips meeting, hands exploring. Nemu supposed it wasn't unusual how fast Uryuu was able to undress her. After all, he had made her gown himself.

* * *

><p>How did he end up on the floor? Mayuri wondered. He'd obviously been sick as well judging by the pool of vomit he was laying in. He didn't remember doing that either. Forcing himself to rise, he went to his desk. The formula he had mixed was no longer there. The beaker was shattered on the floor. It must have rolled off. Looking at the various chemicals he brought in to make it, he saw most of the ingredients had run out. Pity.<p>

Looking in a mirror he had on the wall, he almost couldn't recognize himself. He looked pathetic. Is this what he had been reduced to? Wallowing in a narcotic haze, drowning in self pity? How had he allowed himself to fall into such a state? No, that wasn't the question. The real question was, how could he have allowed that _quincy_ to drive himself into such a state.

"Pull yourself together man!" he growled at his reflection. "This is not the answer."

Suddenly, an idea came to him. It may have been more accurate to call it a memory. Shoving the trash that had accumulated on his desk to the floor, he located his keyboard and booted up his computer. A quick glance at the calendar was enlightening. He'd been out that long, eh? He pulled up an old file. It was a dossier on someone in his organization he never thought he would use again. He had kept that person handy just in case. You never knew what the future would bring. He was very happy he had.

"Revenge." He hissed. "Revenge _is_ the answer."


	8. An Unseen Threat

**Summary:** Mayuri is having a very busy day.

"…and by implementing a computer based report system, we can free up dozens of shinigami in every division for field work." Mayuri concluded.

"Question." Byakuya interjected. "What will be done with the archive of paper files?"

"I have a work center already set up to transcribe the files into the database, both as searchable content and as scanned copies."

"What about the implementation phase?" Ukitake asked. "What training will our people receive if we switch over to this new system?"

"My cadre of instructors are ready to start classes whenever you like. Afterward, we will have a support center to deal with any problems that might come up."

"This all sounds very good in theory Captain Kurotsuchi." Captain-Commander Yamamoto said. "However, I don't believe we should implement this new system all at once. I would like to see this done on a trial basis first. Would any captain like to volunteer their division?"

"I'm willing to volunteer." Hitsuguya responded. "It can't be any worse than relying on my lieutenant."

Yamamoto nodded. "Very well Captain Hitsuguya. You will coordinate with Captain Kurotsuchi to set up a pilot program and keep us informed of your progress. As there is no other business on the agenda, you are all dismissed."

He struck his cane on the ground signaling the end of the meeting. The captains dispersed, making their exit from the meeting hall. Captain Unohana made her way to the twelfth division commander's side as they walked out.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, that was a wonderful idea you proposed. You have been working extremely hard for the Gotei 13's benefit lately."

Mayuri glanced at her sideways. "It is my job, Captain Unohana."

"Nonetheless, you have been doing a lot lately." She replied "In fact, it's a complete turnaround from just a few months ago."

"Is there some kind of point you're trying to make Captain?" He asked scowling. "I'm a very busy man."

"I'm simply wondering if this isn't some kind of compensating behavior. First you fall into inactivity, then you start putting in extreme amounts of overtime. Both are symptomatic of avoidance behavior. I understand you must feel a great deal of grief and pain losing N…"

"DON'T SAY HER NAME!" Mayuri shouted as he whirled to face her. "That person doesn't exist for me anymore! I am perfectly fine and don't need her or anyone else!"

Unohana quietly absorbed his angry outburst before answering, a pool of serenity in a turbulent world.

"Be that as it may, if you need help, even if it's just to talk to someone, please remember I'm here for you."

Mayuri took a deep breath. "My…apologies Captain Unohana. I understand you are trying to help, but believe me, I am fine. Now if you don't mind, I have a very full schedule for today."

As if on cue, his cell phone's alarm went off.

"You see." He said holding up the device. "A reminder for my next appointment. Good day to you Captain."

Unohana politely bowed in farewell as he took his leave. She watched as he quickly strode away, his steps jittery and uneven, betraying his inner turmoil. There was something troubling him deeply, she was sure of it.

* * *

><p>"…three, two and one. Keep your balance ladies, now we're going to work the left leg. Remember not to move your foot too high off the ground, first forward, then to the side. And, five, four, three, two…"<p>

Nemu was actually starting to sweat a little as she followed along with the pregnancy workout video. Well into her second trimester, her belly protruded before her, pushing out the front of her maternity dress. She was careful to maintain her balance as she swung her left foot up then to the side, then back down to the floor. It was a part of her daily routine. On school days, she would get up early to fix Uryuu's breakfast and pack his lunch. He would go off to his classes at Karakura University and she would do the shopping for the day. Returning home, she would do the housework, then exercise, then rest for a while until it was time to make dinner. Uryuu would come home in the evening, usually full of exited talk about his classes in textile science or drafting and sewing and he would listen to her talk about her day. On weekends, they would take long walks in the nearby park, or watch movies together or simply sit quietly at home, enjoying each other's company. Nemu couldn't remember a happier time in her life. And yet…something was missing. Freed from the hard work of a Lieutenant in the Gotei 13, she sometimes found herself missing her old life. She could still feel the pull of the laboratory. She still missed the thrill of discovery. Well, she wasn't always going to be a housewife. Uryuu agreed that after Souken was born, Nemu would look for her own career. It was something to look forward to, but at the same time, she regretted that someday she wouldn't carry this increasingly lively spark of life within her. She was thinking this very thought for the millionth time when the attack hit.

Gasping slightly, she put her hands on her stomach, the exercise video forgotten.

"Not again." She murmured.

It wasn't a physical pain. It was more of a mental/emotional spike. It was the feeling she was getting from deep inside. From Souken. Something was making him very upset.

"Are you all right, baby?" She crooned stroking her abdomen. "Is something disturbing you?"

She didn't understand what was causing it. Dr Kurosaki had been unable to find a physical reason for these outbursts. A physical reason wouldn't have made sense anyway. What Souken was feeling more than anything was fear. What could possibly provoke a reaction like that in an unborn baby? Her great fear was a hollow was stalking her child, even at this early stage, but Uryuu, and later Urahara, had not been able to find any trace of the deadly creatures. Still, on a fairly regular basis Souken became emotionally disturbed and that discomfort was transmitted directly to her.

She absentmindedly shut off the television and went to sit down at the computer desk. She had been using a spreadsheet to track these episodes. Pulling up the program, she logged in the latest symptoms and information. This occurrence definitely fit into the pre-existing pattern. Always about this time of the week. Always when she was alone. If only she had some proper analytical equipment. Simply recording the events felt so inadequate. She curled around her belly protectively. While no one had found any evidence of an outside threat, she still felt afraid. Some hollows were not mindless beasts. Some were very clever hunters. What if one of them was after Souken? How could she know? What could she do to protect him? She forced herself to relax when she realized her fears were upsetting Souken even more.

"Don't worry little one." She cooed. "It's all right. Everything is all right. Would you like some ice cream? Would that help?"

It would certainly make her feel better. She ate several different dairy products a day to help supplement her vitamin and calcium intake, from yogurt to skim milk, but her favorite was butterscotch ice cream. While she limited herself to only one serving a day, she really looked forward to it. Getting out of her chair, she strode across the apartment to the refrigerator. Mayuri had to jump a little to get out of her way.

"Fascinating." He muttered under his breath as he viewed the readings from his scanner. The energy patterns around the fetus were like nothing he'd ever seen before. It was getting most of its energy from its mother as expected, but it was also pulling it in from his surroundings. That was not unusual for a quincy child. His data on the race showed they all did that. What _was_ unusual was the core of power it was generating internally. Quincies did not do that. Shinigami did. The subject seemed to be expressing both sides of its heritage. Very interesting.

Nemu had served herself one small cup of ice cream and was sitting once again at the computer desk while she ate it. Cursing the inability to observe the subject's development in a proper lab setting, he set the scanner down where it could continue to record. He watched his daughter in disgust. She was burbling away between mouthfuls of ice cream, talking nonsense to her unborn child. Didn't she realize it hadn't developed to a stage where it could process language yet? Foolishness.

Pacing around the apartment, he tried once again to understand how she could seem be so happy in such a shabby environment. The apartment itself had obviously seen better days long ago. All the furniture was second-hand and probably hadn't been high quality even when new. He saw many patches and seams, the quincy's handiwork no doubt. The small kitchen table was covered with scratches, the chairs were wobbly and held together with wire. Had they found them in a dump? Even the electronic devices, primitive real world junk that it was, were all battered, obsolete models. The pictures and decorations on the walls seemed to be the only nice things they had.

He looked over the images as he did every visit. There was the boy's high school graduation. His college commencement ceremony. Their wedding pictures in those ridiculous quincy robes. Some had his friends in them as well, especially that freakish Kurosaki boy. The only constant companion in all of them was Nemu. She stood proudly by his side, her face wreathed in a serene smile. Pathetic.

There were a few paintings as well. A landscape. A scroll. A plaque saying "Guts" for some reason. Finally, the one he hated. Nemu had either found or created a painting of a thistle. A black silhouette on a white background. The symbol of the thirteenth division. It infuriated him.

"You don't deserve this." He hissed as he glared at her. "You are not a part of my division anymore!"

He fought the urge to slap it down. She could neither see nor hear him and it wasn't that unusual for pictures to fall off the wall by themselves, but why take a chance by signaling his presence?

Finishing up her ice cream, she got up to wash the cup in the sink. The whole time, she smiled and patted her stomach as she kept talking and talking to the baby. Nauseated, Mayuri turned away. This was not the daughter he created. This was not what she was designed for. What would it take to open her eyes to the absurdity of the path she was taking? The alarm from his cell phone alerting him to his next appointment was a relief. He turned off the scanner and put it in its case.

"Sorry I can't stay longer my precious daughter." He sneered. "I have to meet someone. Very soon, that so-called husband of yours is going to meet him too."

Before Nemu's unseeing eyes, he opened the senkaimon. She didn't know he had left. She only knew Souken was finally calming down.

* * *

><p>Every division has one. That one guy that everybody knows, but nobody knows what he does. Tenth seat Saitoh Hideki filled that role for the twelfth division. Saitoh was unique in that he was not a lab tech. All of the lab techs in the twelfth division were cherished and had long careers, even ones like Tsubokura Rin. Non-laboratory workers had a notoriously short life span. Still, Saitoh Hideki was there, year after year, seeming to live a charmed life amid the many "experimental side effects" and "industrial accidents" that claimed his fellow shinigami. Even stranger, anyone trying to figure out just what Saitoh duties actually were seemed to run afoul of an "accident" soon after.<p>

Saitoh was easy to overlook. Somewhat short, he had dark shaggy hair, a square face with dark eyes and a pug nose that looked like it had been broken a time or two. He wasn't too careful with his hygiene either, having a couple of day's worth of stubble and untrimmed nails. He was the kind of person who could hang out unnoticed along the back wall of pretty much any bar, marketplace or back alley. He was unremarkable, unmemorable and expendable. That is what made him so valuable. He wondered why he was being summoned now. It'd been a long time since Captain Kurotsuchi needed him. He knocked on the door three times as regulation required.

"Come in." He heard the captain say.

Saitoh entered stopping the customary three paces before the captain's desk.

"Tenth seat Saitoh Hideki, reporting as ordered sir."

He bowed low, waiting for Mayuri's nod before rising again and standing at ease.

"You wanted to see me sir?" He asked.

Mayuri grinned and arched his fingers before him. "Yes, Saitoh. Have a seat. It's been a while since I last contacted you directly. When's the last time I needed your services?"

"That would be the new recruit who saw something he shouldn't have, captain."

"Nobody ever found the body, did they?"

"And nobody ever will, sir."

They shared a chuckle over memory.

"Let me tell you why I've called you in today, Saitoh. Do you remember our work with the Quincy?"

Saitoh nodded his head. "It was a while ago, but I remember it well. You certainly made it worth my while sir."

"Well we're having Quincy trouble again."

Saitoh's eyes widened. "You mean there are still quincies left, sir?"

Mayuri stared at him dumbfounded. "You don't read the papers much, do you Saitoh?"

"Can't say that I do, sir." Saito agreed amiably as he dug around in his ear.

Mayuri sighed. At least he was dependable.

"Yes, there is a quincy survivor in Karakura who has been most troublesome to me. I have a plan to eliminate him, and I'm entrusting you to carry it out. The most important thing in its implementation is discretion. Seireitei must never know of our involvement."

Saitoh leaned back with a smug grin. "I've never let you down before, have I sir? Oh wait, did you say Karakura? That's the thirteenth division's beat now. It would look kinda suspicious if I got caught operating there."

"All part of my plan." Mayuri assured him. "Ukitake was sloppy with his posting and created some exploitable vulnerabilities. All will be made clear once you know the plan."

"I'm ready whenever you are, sir." Saitoh said eagerly leaning forward. "Just tell me what you want and I'll see to it that is runs smooth as butter."

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple, Saitoh." Mayuri said standing up. "For this operation, I require a deeper level of commitment. Please follow me."

Jumping to his feet, Saitoh followed his captain as he led the way deep into the bowels of the laboratory complex. There were many security doors and barriers along the way. Soon they were in that part of the building used only by Mayuri himself. Saitoh was dutifully impressed, especially when they reached their destination.

"Here it is." Mayuri said with a flourish. "The memory overlay laminator. In principle, it acts much the same as the memory chikan, only far more powerful and precise."

The machine before him was a metal table surrounded by tubes, wires, ceramic insulators and several large electrical coils. Mayuri went to the podium-like control panel and brought the device online, the room filling up with a low humming sound and an eerie blue light. Once he was satisfied the machine was sufficiently warmed up, he waved at the metal table indicating Saitoh should get on it. The tenth seat hesitated.

"Uh, I'm guessing you're going to be changing my memories, captain?" He squeaked. "Is this really necessary?"

"Of course it is." Mayuri insisted. "Don't worry so much. I'll explain as I strap you in."

"Strap me in?"

"It is essential you remain motionless during the procedure. Now get on the table, that's an order!"

Reluctantly, Saitoh did as he was told. The stainless steel was cold on his back as he lay down. Mayuri lost no time securing the various shackles and tie downs, explaining as he worked.

"You see, for my plan to succeed, it requires the agent to carry a set of preconceived ideas and beliefs that cannot be learned second hand. It goes beyond bluffing, beyond acting, must in fact be indistinguishable from a sincere conviction on the part of the individual."

"I don't understand captain."

"Of course you don't you twit." Mayuri casually stated as he secured Saitoh's arms. "What I'm going to do is implant false memories directly into your brain. These powerful electromagnets will actually alter the connections and pathways in your brain allowing me to enter in any scenario I wish. When I'm done, not only will you know the plan, you'll believe you thought it up yourself."

Saitoh lifted his head and looked at the various straps and chains that now criss-crossed his body.

"Um, sir." He quavered. "I don't mean to sound cowardly, but I can't help noticing there's what looks like dried blood on these restraints."

"That's because the process causes excruciating pain." Mayuri explained grabbing Saitoh's head and forcing it back down. He put a strap across his forehead to prevent him moving.

"You didn't say anything about there being any pain!" Saitoh yelped.

"Don't worry." Mayuri assured him. "You won't remember it at all. You never did before."

Taking a marker from his sleeve, he carefully, he drew a bullseye over the pathway to the temporal lobe.

"You did this to me before?"

"Of course. Whose blood do you think that is on the restraints?"

Touching a switch on the menacing looking focal point of the machine, he turned on a small red light. It shone down on the prone shinigami's forehead. Mayuri adjusted the device until the red light was pointed directly at the bullseye.

"Wait a minute captain! Wait a minute! Isn't there a way to do this without the pain?"

Mayuri put his finger on his chin as he thought about it. "I suppose I could come up with a way with a little more research."

He went back to the control panel and held his hand over the activation switch.

"But where's the fun in that?"

Saitoh Hideki barely processed the sound of Captain Kurotsuchi's hand slapping down the switch before his world exploded into a blue-white universe of pain. Deep in the bowels of the twelfth division's compound, no one would be able to hear his screams. Howling in agony, his cries amplifying as they echoed off the stone walls, he couldn't hear the sound of Mayuri laughing.

* * *

><p>"I'm home." Uryuu announced as he took his shoes off in the entryway. He didn't get a reply. Nemu was nowhere in sight. Frowning slightly, he put on his slippers and checked the bathroom. She wasn't in there.<p>

"Nemu?" He called out.

Walking further into the apartment he walked around their threadbare couch and saw her. She was fast asleep, the small throw blanket that normally covered the couch pulled around her shoulders. He smiled and knelt down beside her. She looked so beautiful and at peace. He took a moment just to admire his lovely wife. It still felt a little odd to think of himself as a married man. Being lucky enough to marry someone like Nemu felt like more good fortune than he deserved. In their time together, she grew more open, more confident every day. As the days went by, he was getting to know every facet of her and it made him fall even deeper in love. He reached out to stroke her face, watching as her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm home." He repeated leaning over to kiss her. Nemu smiled as she returned the kiss

"Welcome home, husband." She said.

"Hello in there."Uryuu said into his cupped hands over her stomach. "Aren't you going to welcome your father home?"

Nemu laughed. "He knows you're here. He's glad your back."

Her smile quickly faded as she remembered something.

"Dinner!" She said. "I forgot to make dinner."

"It's OK." Uryuu assured her as he got up. "I can cook tonight."

"You shouldn't." Nemu said as she followed him. "You've already spent all day in school."

"Don't worry about it." He replied as he started to take ingredients out of the refrigerator. "After the day I've just had, this will help me take my mind off of it."

"You had a bad day in class?" she asked.

"No, school was fine." He said taking out the cutting board and selecting a knife. "It was what happened on the way home that a mess."

He selected an onion and began to slice it up.

"Kurosaki and I were going to the train station, when we felt hollows attacking on the other side of town. It was one of the strangest attacks we ever saw. The hollow was a parasite type with one big one controlling lots of little ones. They were like little spiders and they were everywhere. Fast too. It was everything I could do to keep them contained. As soon as I killed one, it seemed like two more would take their place. Naturally Kurosaki had to be the big hero and take out the main hollow. He's so aggravating like that. That took care of the little ones too as they actually were just an extension of the host. Then Kurosaki had the nerve to thank me for the "assist", like I'm his sidekick or something, and then the town shinigami, what's his name, the one with the afro, finally shows up and he…"

Suddenly he realized what he was saying. He put down the knife and looked up from his work to see Nemu staring at him.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I shouldn't be talking about things like that."

Mentally he kicked himself. He had been doing his best to keep things about hollows and spiritual matters to himself. Today had just been so irritating, he forgot to leave it at the door like he usually did.

"It's all right." Nemu told him. "I don't mind if you want to tell me things like that."

"It doesn't bother you?" He asked. "I didn't want to remind you about being a shinigami."

"It's all right." She insisted forcing herself to smile. "It may no longer be a part of my life, but it's still an important part of yours. Don't hide things like that from me Uryuu. I want to know everything you're doing. Even if it involves that."

Uryuu could see it bothered her least a little bit. Still, he resolved to do as she asked and not hide anything more from her. Of course, he might tone things down a little before he told her.

"I'm sorry." He responded. "I won't keep things like that from you anymore. How about you? How was your day?"

She glanced away and didn't answer right away. She knew how he was going to react.

"It happened again."

Uryuu rushed over to her and took her in his arms as if to shield her from harm. He placed his hand on her belly as he fired off anxious questions.

"Are you all right? Is the Souken OK?"

"We're fine." Nemu replied. "It was the same as always. Something made him very afraid. I didn't see or hear anything."

"I'm staying home this week." He announced. "I'm going to find out what's causing this."

"No don't." She said shaking her head. "You need to go to school."

"I insist!" He declared. "Who knows what's going on? I will not allow you to stay here unprotected."

"You can't do that." Nemu asserted. "You have to think of your grades. It may be nothing at all."

"How about just this day next week?" He bargained. "These 'attacks' or whatever they are always seem to happen on this day."

Nemu thought about it for a moment.

"All right." She agreed. "Just one day."

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. He was rigid with anger and fear. He had worked with Urahara and Isshin and everyone else he could think of to find out what could be frightening the baby. It made him worried sick. Someone had to know what was happening. Once again, the temptation rose within him. Ryuuken. Maybe there was something he knew that would shed light on the subject.

_No!_ He was not going to go crawling back to his father at the first sign of trouble. He was going to protect his family without his help. The scrolls. Maybe there was an answer still hidden in the ancient quincy scrolls. He hadn't found anything yet, but he still had hope. Tonight, when Nemu went to sleep, he would get them out and pore over them until dawn. He would find a way.

* * *

><p>Zennosuke Kurumadani plopped down on the bar stool with an air of sullen defeat. Even his afro seemed to sag with discouragement.<p>

"Bartender! A bottle of your best saké." He ordered.

Seeing who had given him the order, the bartenders face took on a sour expression.

"You again! Didn't I have to garnish your wages to get your bar tab paid?

"It got paid didn't it?" Kurumadani pointed out. "Now c'mon, bring out the saké."

"Uh-uh. First let me see your cash."

Grumbling under his breath, Kurumadani rummaged through his pockets and began putting coins on the bar. He checked every pocket. Then he checked them again. He ended up with a very small pile of coins, all in low denominations.

"That's just enough for a beer." The bartender declared scooping up the coins.

Kurumadani was outraged. "A beer! After the day I've had, I need something stronger than that!"

The bartender put a freshly filled mug down in front of him.

"Too bad. You're gonna hafta make do with this. And if you give me any more lip, I'll toss you out on the street and you won't even have that."

Kurumadani scowled, but he kept his mouth shut. He picked up the beer and took a sip. After the bartender went to serve another customer, he muttered staring into the foam.

"It's just not fair I tell you. A shinigami shouldn't have to work under such conditions. It's not right."

"I couldn't help overhearing your troubles." A stranger said as he sat down next to him. "Tell you what. I happened to get some bounties lately. I'll split a bottle with you."

"Really?" Kurumadani replied with a rapidly spreading grin. "Hey bartender!" He turned back to his new found friend.

"Gee, thanks buddy. Got some hollow bounties huh? That must be nice."

"What's the matter?" The stranger asked. "Your sector's been running dry lately?"

"Hardly." Kurumadani sniffed. "There's plenty of hollows on my beat. The problem is I have all these weirdos in town killing them off before I can get there. It's not fair! How's an unseated shinigami supposed to advance in a place like that?"

"Sounds rough." The stranger said as he paid for the saké. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Sure pal." Kurumadani said accepting a cup. "Say, what's your name?"

"Saitoh. Saitoh Hideki"


	9. Opening Salvo

**Summary:** Mayuri's little plan to get rid of Ishida doesn't work out so well.

Rukia rushed into Byakuya's office, anxious and worried. She bowed quickly as soon as her brother looked up to her.

"I got here as soon as I could Ni-sama." She panted. "I am sorry. Ichigo refused to come. He said he was not going take the trouble to come to Soul Society unless you were more specific."

Byakuya frowned, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Please don't be angry Ni-sama." Rukia quickly blurted out. "I'm sure he meant no disrespect. He can be so stubborn sometimes. Please, tell me why you summoned us and I will tell him immediately."

Byakuya's frown deepened. "You are mistaken Rukia. I am not angry. I am puzzled. I never summoned you at all."

Rukia's eyes widened in confusion. "But…if you didn't send for us Ni-sama…then who did?"

* * *

><p>Perched high on the roof of a nearby apartment building, Saitoh Hideki had an excellent view of his prey. The young man exited the front of a shabby, rundown apartment building, book bag slung over his shoulder. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around. Someone had called out to him. A very pregnant young woman followed him carrying a wrapped bento. He had forgotten his lunch apparently. He accepted it and a kiss on the cheek, then continued on his way, his young wife waving goodbye. What a touching scene of domestic tranquility. What a lucky young man. Ishida Uryuu. Enjoying all the happiness he had stolen. Saitoh's face burned with rage. The Quincy could never love Nemu the way he did. If it weren't for the hated interloper, <em>he<em> would be the one married to Nemu, _he_ would be the one accepting her home made lunch, _he_ would be the one expecting his first born son. It was all he could do to keep himself from swooping down on him and gutting that freak right in front of her eyes. He fought to control his anger as he went over his plan once again. That fool Zennosuke Kurumadani had been a perfect tool. He had been delighted with his new friends company, allowing Saitoh to patrol with him, showing him every nook and cranny of his prey's territory while constantly bragging about his non-existent prowess. He wasn't on patrol today. A little powder in Kurumadani's drink last night made sure of that. Saitoh's little ruse in sending Kuchiki Rukia a spoofed text message from her brother ensured she would return to Soul Society and take the infamous substitute with her. There would be no shinigami in town today besides himself. Now, using the Quincy's routine against him, all he needed to do was wait as the fool walked unknowingly into the killing ground.

* * *

><p>Walking to the university every morning, Uryuu found cutting through the abandoned factory yard saved him a good ten minutes, although he had to watch his step. There were many piles of angle iron and broken equipment with sharp, rusty edges. In some places, the path was very narrow, so he had to pay attention as he weaved his way through it. Perhaps that was why he was taken by surprise when stranger called down to him from the roof of a nearby abandoned factory.<p>

"Quincy!" He shouted down in a harsh, gravelly voice. "We must talk. I have urgent news for you."

Looking up, Uryuu saw a strange shinigami standing on the rusted steel roof of the old factory. Short and stocky in build, his face was obscured by a scarf covering his mouth, nose and hair. He sighed and adjusted his glasses

"Look, whoever you are, I'm sure whatever the problem is, you don't really need me and I have to get to school. If you need help, it would be better for you to ask someone else in Soul Society."

"You don't understand." The stranger replied. "I'm not here to ask you for help. I'm here to offer it."

"I really don't see why I would need any help right now, especially from a stranger hiding his face." Uryuu called back.

"You will in a moment." The stranger assured him. "It concerns your wife."

At the mere hint of a threat to Nemu, Uryuu's insides froze. Dropping his book bag, Uryuu instantly appeared on the roof.

"What was that you said about my wife?!" He snarled advancing on the stranger. The man held his hands palm out to calm him down.

"Take it easy Quincy. As I said, I have news for you about your wife that could be very important. I mean you no harm."

Uryuu stopped walking towards the stranger and made a visible effort to calm down.

"All right. You have my attention. Who are you and what information do you have about my wife?"

"My name is not important." The shinigami replied. "What is important is that even now, Captain Kurotsuchi has not forgotten about you or her. He hates you more than anything, and plots for ways to bring you down and take her back."

Uryuu sniffed. "Is that all? That's hardly news."

"Perhaps not." The stranger agreed. "But what I have to tell you next might surprise you."

"Very well." Uryuu said. "Tell me."

"You'll have to come closer." The strange shinigami said as he beckoned Uryuu forward. "I'll have to whisper it to you."

"Whisper?" Uryuu asked "Considering I don't even know you, I think it would be best if you just tell me what it is from where you are."

"You don't understand." The man replied. "I'm taking a huge risk meeting with you. I am from the twelfth division myself. I chose to meet you here because it is remote enough that Captain Kurotsuchi may not have planted any hidden spycams or microphones here, but I can't be sure. That is why I'm hiding my face and disguising my voice. Even so, if I reveal what I know in the open and Captain Kurotsuchi hears about it, he will know exactly who I am. Please quincy, for both our sakes, come closer. What I know about Nemu will change everything."

Uryuu was clearly displeased with the situation. But what choice did he have? Warily he approached the disguised shinigami.

"All right." He said stopping just in front of the man. "We're close enough now. What is this secret you have about Nemu?"

Leaning forward, Saitoh Hideki softly breathed what he had to say in a voice so low, he could barely be heard. "The secret, quincy, is that your wife…should have been mine!"

Before Uryuu could react, the man smashed something on his head that exploded into a cloud of dust. Coughing and trying to wipe the dust out of his eyes, he was unable to prevent Saitoh from taking his quincy cross off his wrist. Roaring with triumphant laughter, Saitoh leaped to the top of the abandoned factory's water tower. Finally getting his eyes clear, Uryuu rubbed some of the dust between his fingers and gave it a sniff.

"Hollow bait?"

"That's right quincy!" Saitoh mockingly yelled. "Soon this area will be swarming with hollows. By stealing my beloved away from me, I'll see you dead, body and soul! Without your cross, you're helpless and I made sure no shinigami will come to your rescue. Your soul will be torn to shreds and it will be weeks before your body is found, if ever. Don't worry though, quincy. I will be sure to comfort Nemu when her husband cruelly abandons her. Your child will call me father and never know you existed. Think of this and despair as you die!" He dangled Uryuu's cross out before him. "Do you know what the best part is quincy? I'll be standing right here watching you the whole time with the source of all your powers just out of reach. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Uryuu frowned in annoyance as he blew the dust out of his glasses. Putting them back on, he appeared before Saitoh in an eye blink and snatched the cross out of his hand.

"And just who told you that this was the source of all my powers?" He asked. "I only need it for this."

Slipping his hand into the bracelet, he quickly ignited his bow. Snarling in anger, Saitoh disappeared. Uryuu was about to follow when the first wave of hollows attacked. They were all rushing at him, mouths agape, screeching and roaring. He went airborne to engage the first wave, a fusillade of arrows pouring from his bow. Being low level hollows, he had no trouble dealing with them, but the problem was, he _had_ to deal with them. In the meantime, he could feel his attacker getting away. If he couldn't follow him soon, he would be able to open a portal back to soul society and make good his escape. Fortunately, he could feel help already on the way as a massive bow wave of power pulsed toward his location. The air around Ichigo exploded as he appeared in the sky.

"Getsuga Tensho!" He shouted as he swept the skies with a burst of crackling blue energy. Instinctively taking Uryuu's back, they worked together to deal with the swarming monsters. Between the two of them, all of the hollows were quickly wiped out, although more would soon be on the way. Ichigo took advantage of the lull in combat to do what he did best…complain.

"Dammit Ishida, what the hell did you do this time? We're late for class!"

"I didn't do anything Kurosaki, a shinigami did this." Uryuu sourly replied. "He threw powdered hollow bait on me and took off running."

Ichigo was immediately confused. "Huh? A shinigami? Why would he do that?"

Uryuu shot down some newly arrived hollows. "How would I know Kurosaki? He spouted something about Nemu and watching me die, then I had to deal with _this_ situation."

Ichigo slashed a few more newcomers down. "We better catch up to him and find out what he's up to."

"Gee, you think so?" Uryuu sneered. "I never would have thought of that. I was waiting for you to get here for that very reason lunkhead! You stay and handle these hollows and I'll chase him down."

"Why don't you stay here and I'll chase him down?" Ichigo replied.

Uryuu launched a wave of arrows to deal with the increasingly heavy number of hollows racing towards him.

"Have you finally learned to track strangers by their reiatsu?" He asked.

Ichigo sullenly frowned. He hated admitting weakness.

"No." he muttered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you Kurosaki." Uryuu goaded.

"No, no I can't." Ichigo yelled striking down still more hollows. "Are you happy now, mister high-and-mighty quincy? You're better than me at tracking, OK. So I'll stay here and you go after him."

"Thought you would see things my way." Uryuu smugly responded. Aiming at the water tower, he shot a hole in its side. As the stagnant water streamed out, he rushed to stand under it and began vigorously scrubbing his hair and face.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo demanded. "This is no time to take a bath."

"Shutup!" Uryuu sputtered. "Use your head! If I don't wash off the hollow bait, they'll just follow me. This will also neutralize it so it won't attract any more."

"I guess that makes sense." Ichigo conceded as he fended off some huge hollows that had dropped down from the sky.

Uryuu left his improvised shower and shook the water out of glasses.

"OK, I'm going after him!" He announced before disappearing.

"I'll catch up once I'm done here!" Ichigo yelled. He looked around at the cloud of caterwauling hollows swirling in the air and leaping to the ground. New hollows arriving slowed down as the effects of the hollow bait wore off but there were still a lot of them.

"Man, I am going to be so late for statistical analysis." He groaned.

* * *

><p>Saitoh cursed as he unlocked the gate back to Soul Society in a nearby vacant lot, impatiently shifting on his feet as he waited for them to open. His revenge had failed. His plan to watch as his hated rival was torn to pieces hadn't worked. Well he knew better now. Since the quincy had no idea who he was, he had time to plan another attack. And next time, Ishida Uryuu wouldn't see it coming. With the gate finally open, he rushed to enter. Before he could, a blue arrow of pure energy whizzed a hairs breadth away from in front of his nose.<p>

"Going somewhere?" Uryuu asked.

Saitoh roared in fury as he ripped his zampakuto out of its sheath. Using all his speed, he rushed towards his enemy.

"Hope you like close quarters combat." he shouted swinging his sword in powerful arcing attacks. "I'm not giving you the opportunity to shoot me!"

Uryuu blocked the attacks with his bow.

"That suits...me...fine!" He grunted as he absorbed the shocks.

Reaching behind his back, he pulled out a seele schnieder only to have Saitoh knock it from his hand. With the return swing aimed as his head, Uryuu stepped into the arc and grabbed Saitoh's wrist below the hilt. Not hesitating for even a second, Saitoh's empty hand shot out and grabbed Uryuu by the lapel. Pulling him forward, he smashed Uryuu's forehead with a vicious head butt. Reeling backwards, Uryuu had to dodge quickly while trying to recover from the pain and disorientation. Saitoh managed to score cuts on his arms and slashed a shallow wound along his ribs as Uryuu advanced to clinch with him, using both hands now to stop Saitoh's attack.

"Give it up, quincy." Saitoh snarled in his face. "I'm far stronger than you!"

"Maybe so." Uryuu admitted between gritted teeth. "But I'm smarter."

Quickly grabbing Saitoh's headscarf, he pulled it down over Saitoh's eyes. As the shinigami fought to move the scarf back and regain his vision, Uryuu locked his sword hand with an armbar and forced him to drop his zampakuto. Twisting sideways, he smoothly converted the lock into a throw, sending Saitoh face first into the pavement. Before he could regain his wits, Uryuu landed on his back, his knees knocking the wind out of his opponent. Struggling to breathe, he was powerless to stop Uryuu from removing his belt and tying his hands behind him. Uryuu finished by tying his feet then tying them to his opponent's hands leaving Saitoh helpless on his stomach in an uncomfortable bow shape. Ichigo appeared just as Uryuu got back on his feet.

"Aw man, I missed all the fun." He griped. "Looks like he got you pretty good though."

"Shut up Kurosaki." Uryuu gasped. "The important thing is I won. Now let's see my would-be murderer's face."

Suiting action to word, he reached down and pulled the scarf from Saitoh's face.

"Hmm. Nobody I know." Ichigo said scratching his head. "You?"

"No." Uryuu replied. "I've never seen this man before in my life.

Saitoh ignored them both. He lowered his head to the ground as tears streamed down his face. All of his hopes and dreams, all of his plans for a future with himself and the women he loved had died. He closed his eyes as the sobs tore from his throat and only wished he could die too.

* * *

><p>He could feel the waves of negative energy pulsing through the air. Hollows making their way to the real world from Hueco Mundo. Lots of them. And Uryuu seemed to be the focus for all of them.<p>

"Doctor, are you all right?"

Ryuuken shook his head. "I'm sorry nurse, I'm afraid my mind may have wandered a bit. Please go on."

She resumed her description of the patient's latest symptoms as Ryuuken struggled to pay attention. Uryuu was fighting hard. He could feel it. He was holding his own, it was obvious. Still he felt relieved as the Kurosaki boy showed up. Uryuu was not alone, he had help. He was going to be fine. Soon the number of hollows fell, then disappeared entirely. His son was safe.

"Doctor, you really don't look well. Are you sure you are OK?"

Ryuuken sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I'm not sure. Perhaps I will go to my office and lay down for a moment. Have Dr. Takeshi look this over."

"All right doctor. I hope you feel better soon."

"I'm sure I will." Ryuuken assured her as he left. He berated himself for allowing himself to get distracted. Uryuu hadn't called or otherwise contacted him in all the time since he had left. It was obvious he didn't want his father in his life anymore. He supposed he should get used to the idea that he no longer had a son. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel glad that Uryuu was unharmed.

* * *

><p>Mayuri sighed. "You know, a great general once said, 'Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.' Well, that didn't work out like I planned at all. Saitoh's a thug, a simple, stupid blunt instrument with no subtlety to him. I was sure with the proper motivation, he would sneak up on that pathetic <em>husband<em> of yours and knife him in the kidneys. He's done it often enough before. I don't know why he felt he had to get fancy now. I suppose _love_ makes you do strange things. Who knew the man had a streak of romance hidden in his soul?"

Nemu's only response was to groan and clutch at her stomach.

"It's all right Souken." She crooned as she rocked back and forth. "It will be over soon. Just relax, everything is all right."

"The little brat really doesn't like me." Mayuri observed as his scanner turned some very interesting colors. "A surprising amount of awareness in such a rudimentary life form. Oh yes, I'm going to have a lot of fun studying him someday."

Nemu got up and went to the computer desk dutifully logging in this latest attack. Mayuri continued his monologue undisturbed. He missed having her around as a sounding board for his ideas.

"At least Saitoh fulfilled his main function admirably." He said. "There was no way old man Yamamoto or the Council of 36 could pin his attack on me. How could I predict or prevent an attack from man distraught over a broken heart? He will spend the rest of his life in the maggot's nest while he gets over it. He'll never know his burning passion was just artificial memories I put in his head. It's a sad state of affairs all around. Still, even though I was not implicated in this mess, I still have to come up with a way to get rid of that quincy. If only I could work out in the open, the fool wouldn't have a chance. Unfortunately, all of my best attacks would point straight to me."

"This one is even stronger than usual" Nemu whispered under her breath. "What is causing this?"

"Don't you worry my daughter." Mayuri chortled "I'm not out of pawns yet. I admit, losing Saitohs services was a huge loss, but there are others even more secret, even less connected to me that I can use. I'm nowhere near finishing this game yet. And that thieving quincy can't stay lucky forever."

"Easy, Souken." Nemu said as she stroked her stomach. "Let Mama pay off the bills and I'll get a snack. Would you like that? Would that make you feel better?"

Mayuri watched with interest as Nemu pulled up her bank's web page and logged in.

"That's right." He muttered to himself. "Money is a lot more important here in the real world. It's very hard to survive without it. And it can be handled by computer programs? How interesting. How very interesting indeed."

His eyes gleamed as an idea struck him. He grinned widely as he stroked his chin.

"Make no mistake Nemu, I haven't given up on destroying that fool and bringing you home where you belong." He declared. "It will just take more time that I had originally planned. However, while I'm setting that up, I'm afraid things are going to get very uncomfortable for you here in your little love nest. Oh yes, very uncomfortable indeed!"

Nemu lifted her head and glanced all around the apartment. That was very odd. For a moment, she thought she had heard something. It was very faint, almost completely inaudible. She wondered if she had simply mistaken the usual creaks and groans the building gave off for something else. That had to have been it, she concluded. She had to have been imagining things. She had to have imagined, even if it had only been a faint whisper for a split second, that she had heard her father laughing.

* * *

><p>"Here." Nemu said to Uryuu as they snuggled beneath the comforter. "Put your hand here. Can you feel it?"<p>

Uryuu laughed. "Yes I can. He's got a strong kick."

"Bedtime Souken" Nemu called out. "Mama and Daddy are trying to sleep."

That made Uryuu laugh more. "Somehow, I doubt he'll listen"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, he never does."

For a time, Uryuu was content to lie beside her, his hand on her taut belly, feeling his son kick at unpredictable intervals.

"So you really don't know this Saitoh Hideki?" He asked.

"I knew of him." Nemu replied. "He was on our division's roster and drew his pay from us. I don't recall ever meeting him."

"He seemed to really know you." He murmured. "He was crying the whole time while we waited for Soul Society to pick him up. He kept screaming that you were meant to be together and you broke his heart."

Nemu got up on her elbow and looked down at her husband.

"Uryuu. Are you jealous?"

"Me?" He exclaimed "Jealous of that guy? Never! Don't be ridiculous."

Nemu arched her eyebrow at him.

"Well, maybe a little." He admitted.

"You don't think we had some kind of relationship, do you?" She asked

He shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I'm pretty sure he was just a crazy stalker."

"Then why should you be jealous?"

He reached up to stroke her face. "Because I'm selfish. Because I don't want to share my beautiful wife with anyone else."

"Are you going to lock me up in a box?" She responded. "Do you want to hide me from the world?"

"Sometimes." He admitted. "Sometimes I feel like I should keep you in a high castle tower or a deep cavern underground, like a dragon guarding a treasure."

"Then why don't you?"

He smiled. "Because I treasure your happiness more."

She smiled back as she bent down to kiss him.

"You can guard me just as well in this futon." She declared. "Your arms are my castle."

"Then come inside." He said opening his arms. "It's dangerous out there."

Snuggling together, they quickly fell asleep with no idea of the trouble that lay ahead.


	10. Dirty Tricks

**Summary:** Mayuri lays the groundwork for his next attack while Uryuu and Nemu face an unexpected difficulty.

"Fascinating." Mayuri murmured. "Computer. Run simulation 14,573 again."

He watched in rapt amazement as the computer ran a possible end result suggested by the data he had collected.

"The child actually has this much potential. Amazing!"

Typing in commands, he pulled up the results from days of running simulations. There was a wide range of possibilities depending on how the combination of the quincy's DNA and Nemu's unique DNA analogue chose to express itself. Based on his tests, there was roughly a 50% chance that the result would be a normal human with a high spiritual potential. With his parents to instruct him, he would doubtlessly develop those powers and gain mastery of them at an early age. 24% of the simulations ended with him as being ill suited to the environment in the real world, possibly even crippled. 6% were a variety of strange outcomes with the child being either completely useless or growing into some kind of monster. Mayuri dismissed these as outliers. It was that last category that drew his attention. 25% of the simulations had the child maturing into something incredibly powerful, godlike even, with many of the qualities of transcendence Aizen Souske had sought, but different somehow. It was the _way_ in which it was different that was difficult to define.

"Data." Mayuri muttered. "I need more data!"

Once again, he cursed the inadequate measurements and observations he was forced to use. If only he had Nemu here in his lab. If only they were under his direct observation! He had to get her back again. He had to have her and the child somewhere he could apply all of the techniques he desperately wanted to use to get more and better measurements.

"Need. More. DATA!"

* * *

><p>"I'm home." Uryuu announced and he dragged his feet over the threshold. He was exhausted. Force of habit more than conscious decision made him take off his shoes. He then took of the stupid paper hat he had to wear at the convenience store. It had been a long shift after school and he still had homework to do. He didn't know where he was going to find the time. Or the strength.<p>

"Welcome home." Nemu said giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I kept dinner hot for you."

Gratefully, he leaned against her as she led him to their table.

"I made your favorite." She told him. "Mackerel miso stew."

Uryuu winced as he sat down. "Isn't that too expensive?"

"We're not that bad off yet." Nemu chided. "Besides you need to keep your strength up." Taking a pot off of the stove where it had been simmering over a low flame, she placed it on a ceramic plate in the center of the table and labeled out a large bowl of stew. The smell made Uryuu's mouth water and helped push away his fatigue.

"This looks delicious." He said. "What about you. Aren't you going to eat?"

"I had dinner earlier." She replied. "But I am a little hungry now." She took another bowl and ladled out a small portion for herself. "Your son is very demanding, you know."

He wearily smiled and reached out to place his hand on Nemu's swollen belly. "Causing trouble already is he?"

"It's not his fault." She said. "He has a lot of growing to do. He's asleep now."

Reaching out with his senses, Uryuu could feel his son's energy. Sure enough, he gave off the slow, steady ebbing of power that sleep patterns produced. He seemed content enough, completely unaware of the trouble they were in. He sighed and turned to his dinner. The stew _was_ delicious, rich and satisfying after being on his feet all night selling snacks and grocery items after class. Nemu's stew tasted a little different from his, which was strange because they followed the same recipe. He had to force himself to stop at one bowl. Any more and he would risk getting sleepy. Sleepier anyway.

"Did you find out anything at the bank today?" He asked.

Nemu sadly shook her head. "No one knows what happened. They can find all of the papers we signed to set up the account, but electronically, everything is still a blank. They're trying to figure it out, but they can't give us any funds until they recover the data."

Uryuu looked down at the table and sighed. His tuition was paid up for the semester, and their bills wouldn't come due for another month. But they would come due. He was doing his best to make up for the shortage with a part time job at the convenience store, but how far could he make that meager pay stretch if their money wasn't recovered? How long until the lights went out? How long until they were living on ramen noodles and canned sardines?

Nemu put her hand on his arm. "Uryuu, I took a look around town today. They are hiring sales girls at the department store."

He frowned. "I thought Dr. Kurosaki said you were to stay off of your feet?"

"It's only for a little while." She explained. "I'm sure the bank will figure out what happened to our account soon. Then I'll stop."

"I'm making enough to get by for now." He said shaking his head. "Besides, I don't think they'll hire you in your condition."

"I can try something else." She countered. "I can sweep floors or fold clothes. Or if you want me to stay off my feet, I can try for an office job. I am skilled with most office software suites now, I'm sure I can find temporary work."

"What's gotten into you?" He asked. "Things are a little tight right now, but we'll make it though. The important thing now is your health and the baby."

Nemu cast her eyes to the floor. "It's just that…you're working so hard. You're suffering and it's all because of me. I want to help you, and I feel…I…feel…"

Uryuu could hear the catch in her voice, see her chest rise and fall as her breathing grew ragged. Nemu was a calm and rational person in most circumstances, but the pressure they were under and the stress of her pregnancy would be enough to make anyone upset. And she was still so new to letting her feelings out instead of locking them away behind an emotionless mask. He reached out and gently squeezed her hand.

"I understand." He assured her. "I feel worried too. But it's not going to be forever. I'm sure they'll get our account straightened out sooner or later. Let's not think about this for now."

Getting up, he went over to the battered, second hand stereo, selected a CD and put on some music. A slow latin rhythm came from the speakers, a light piano score playing over insistent percussion with man singing in spanish.

"Dance with me." He urged, holding out his hands.

Nemu was surprised. "Uryuu. We haven't danced in months."

He took her hands and gently pulled her to her feet. "I've missed dancing with you. I think it's just what we need to forget our troubles for a while."

She giggled a little as he took her in his arms. 'I can't dance now. I'm too big and clumsy."

"I don't think we could manage a tango." He admitted. "Still, I think we can try a slow salsa."

Nemu shook her head, but played along with his suggestion. They carefully worked their way through the steps, Nemu delicately pirouetting around Uryuu's lead through the passes and turn, keeping up with the music as best they could in the confines of their tiny apartment. Surprisingly enough, they did forget their worries taking delight in their old pastime. The music ended while Uryuu completed the set, seizing Nemu from behind to hold her tightly. She was winded from their exertion and panted heavily, leaning against him and running her hands along his arms. They were going to get through this, he resolved as he breathed in her scent. Somehow.

* * *

><p>The 79th district of Rukongai, Kusajishi, was the last place with even the semblance of order and civilization before one stepped off into the savagery and lawlessness of district 80. Here, the shinigami rarely came to check up on things. Here, the powerless, the nihilistic and the criminal gathered. Here, those that no longer had a need to eat could satisfy other appetites. Even death was not enough to cure some people of their vices. Though their bellies did not rumble, they still craved the thrill of dice or cards, the taste of strong drink and tobacco, the feel of warm flesh, willing or otherwise. Anything to remind them that they once lived and to distract them from a long, pallid existence as powerless shades. Approaching a ramshackle dive, a slim, blue haired man muttered to himself as he strode down the moonlit street, careless of the hungry eyes that followed him from every door and alleyway.<p>

"Hasn't changed a bit." He whispered absentmindedly. "Still little better than a garbage heap."

Reaching his destination, he stepped up onto the low front porch. With noticeable distaste, he pushed the beaded curtain in the doorway aside, wiping his hand against his robe as soon as he was inside. The noise and hubbub of the sordid little bar died down to nothing as everyone turned to look at the stranger in their midst. Scarred faces with hard, piercing eyes took him in, trying to get his measure, tried to decide if he were predator or prey. He ignored them as well. He knew who he was looking for. No one else was of any matter. As he expected, he saw his quarry sitting in the back corner. Even with his face shrouded with shadows, he also had not changed much over the years. He sat tall and straight on the traditional style floor cushion, two glassy-eyed whores leaning against him, one clumsily sloshing saké into a cup for him. His pipe glowed as he drew in a deep lungful, illuminating his face. He knew he had a visitor. He wanted to be seen. The stranger walked across the room towards him only to be stopped by a rough customer who badly needed a shave.

"Where do you think you're going, man?" He roughly demanded. "This side of the bar is off limits."

"I have business with your master." He replied. "Stand aside."

"I don't think so." The man said. "I'm thinking you better leave."

Seizing the stranger roughly by the shoulder, he began to push him backwards towards the door. The odd little man looked at him with pity and contempt.

"You poor fool. I doubt you ever thought a day in your miserable existence."

Reaching up, he lightly scratched the back of the thugs hand with a weirdly elongated nail on his middle finger. The man snatched his had back as if it were on fire.

"You bastard!" He roared. "What did you…"

He soon found himself incapable of speech as his windpipe closed off. With his face turning blue, he clutched as his throat as he desperately tried to breathe. Falling to the floor, he went into convulsions, foam spewing from his mouth, his feet and hands drumming against the floor, at first strongly then weaker, then hardly at all until they stopped. Sneering, the blue haired man stepped over the newly made corpse. A half dozen burly men rushed towards him.

"Stop! Let him pass." With an amused chuckle, their boss waved for the stranger to approach him. The man ignored the goons glaring at him with murder in their eyes and knelt down on the cushion before the boss's table.

"So it really is you." The bossman said. "It's been a long time. You never did tell me your name."

"And you will never have need to know it, Matsushita Kai." He said. "I have a job for you. It would be best to discuss it alone."

Matsushita glanced at the women seated next to him. "Leave us." He ordered.

He waited until they had stumbled away before speaking again.

"Straight to business, eh? No waiting for drinks, no asking how I've been after all these years, just cut right to the chase. You're a very rude fellow, you know that?"

"Good evening Matsushita-san. How have you been? Happy now?" The uninvited guest sneered. "Don't forget, it's through me that you enjoy this position. Without my help, you'd be nothing."

"And without me, there's a lot of stuff you'd never get done." Matsushita pointed out. "Not legally anyway. I'm guessing that's why you're here now."

The interloper scowled. "You have guessed correctly. I need something done and I need it kept secret from the Gotei 13."

"What kind of job are we talking about?" Matsushita asked.

"It's nothing too unusual." The man said pulling out a snapshot. He pushed it across the table to Matsushida, who picked it up and held it in front of his face. "I want this man killed. I want it done quietly, efficiently and most of all, secretly."

"He looks harmless enough." Mastushita allowed taking in the slim, dark haired man in the picture. "What district is he in?"

"He's not in any district." The man explained. "He's a human living in the real world."

Matushita' jaw dropped. The picture fell from his hand to flutter down to the table. "What? The real world?"

"And his is powerful. You will need someone at least captain level to assure success."

"Are you insane?" Matsushita growled. "None of us have spiritual powers. That's why we're here, jackass! And how in the thrice-damned HELL do you expect us to strike at someone in the real world?"

"Let me worry about getting to the real world. And as for the power issue, let's just say I've already thought of that."

Matsushita watched the stranger pull a slim glass vial out of his sleeve. He held it out in offering. Matsushita took it, weighed it in his hand, gave it a shake. It contained a dark, oily liquid that swirled sluggishly behind the glass.

"What is this?"

"It's energy in a bottle. With this, you can add artificial reiatsu to anyone up to any level. Given enough of this formula, even such as you can temporarily be as powerful as any captain in seireitai."

Mutsashida's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. The effects wear off quickly, so the user must accomplish their mission before their power drains away. What you now hold is a trial version, just to give you an idea. Try it."

Mutsashida frowned. Opening the bottle, he gave it a sniff. He opened his mouth as if he were about to drink it, then stopped.

"Hayashida," He called out. "Get over here."

A huge man with a scraggly beard and mustache and long hair pulled into a topknot sprang to his feet and hurried over.

"Yes, aniki?"

"Drink this."

Without even a second of hesitation, the big man slugged the dark fluid down. A few moments passed.

"Well." Mutsashida asked "How do you feel?"

"Uh, nothing yet, aniki." Hayashida replied. "Oh wait. I'm feeling something. Yeah! I am feeling something!"

As they watched, Hayashida's body began to glow, faintly as first, then brighter.

"This is amazing! Incredible!" He whooped. Holding his hand together, he formed a ball of energy. Holding it over his head, he hurled it towards the wall. It exploded on contact, throwing slivers of bamboo and thatch outward in a smoldering rain.

"I have power!" He crowed. Almost as soon as he said it, the glow guttered, faded and died.

"Thank you Hayashida." Mutsashida calmly said. "That will be all."

Hayashida was too stunned to understand. He turned his hands over and over, confused. "Aniki, what…why…?"

"I said that will be all Hayashida!" He barked.

The roughneck finally took the hint, picking up the threat in his bosses tone. "Of course, aniki. I'll, um…I'll get someone to fix the wall."

"You do that." Mutsashida replied with a nod. He waited until his henchman was out of hearing range before talking with the stranger again. "All right. So at least part of what you claim is true. I'm going to assume you can actually get one of my men to the real world. What I need to know it, what's in it for me?"

"After all I've done for you, raising you up from the gutter scum you were, giving you power and priviledge, you dare to ask me for payment?"

Mutsashida nodded. "Damn right I do."

His guest gave a sardonic grin. "I thought you would. That's why I'm prepared to give you this."

Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out another glass vial. Again, he held I out to the crime boss.

"I wouldn't try sampling that one if I were you." He warned.

"Why?" Matsushida asked. "What's in it?"

"It's an intoxicating substance specifically calibrated for the powerless." The odd man explained. "It's cheap, can be cut many times with water without losing its potency and is highly addictive. With a supply of this handy, you should gain enough power and money to take over the whole district, even beyond."

"And you're going to what? Sell it to me cheap?"

The stranger shook his head. "Not at all, Matsushida. I'm going to _give_ it to you. As much as you want for the next six months. A good bargain for one man's life, wouldn't you say?" He leaned forward, the lights in the room casting sinister shadows across his long craggy face. "Do we have a deal?"

* * *

><p>Something square was placed on the counter before him.<p>

"Thank you for your purchase, sir." Uryuu droned. "Would you like me to place your bento in the microwave?"

"Ishida, wake up!" Ichigo barked. "That's not a bento, that's a casserole dish."

Uryuu shook his head trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind. He's been asleep on his feet, working on autopilot.

"Kurosaki?"

"Yes, Kurosaki and why didn't you tell me you were having money trouble?"

Uryuu tried to pull himself together. "Who told you that?'

"My Dad." Ichigo replied. "He thought your wife was looking pretty stressed when she came in for her latest check up. He made her tell him the whole story, then he sent me over here with this."

Uryuu looked down on the covered dish, his face heating up with shame. "I don't need your charity, Kurosaki." He hissed.

"It's not charity, it's Yuzu's." Ichigo explained. "You better take it too, or she'll never let me hear the end of it."

Uryuu shamefacedly adjusted his glasses. "Well, if it will make her happy." He mumbled. He put the dish behind the counter to take it home later. "OK, Kurosaki, you've done your good deed for the day. You can go home now."

"Uh-uh."Ichigo grunted. "It's not that simple, Ishida. If you were having problems, why didn't you call me?"

"Why should I? There's nothing you can do about it."

"You don't know that." Ichigo pointed out. "And even if that's true, it's not fair to keep stuff like this from your friends."

"Excuse me." A short balding man in a business suit said. "I'd like to pay for my stuff."

"Do you mind?!" Ichigo yelled. "We're having a very important conversation here! Go read a magazine or something!"

"Don't listen to him, sir! I'll ring it up for you!" Uryuu shouted. He quickly scanned the businessman's order and got him out the door, ignoring his dirty looks the whole time.

"Dammit Kurosaki, are you trying to get me fired?" Ishida demanded.

"So what if you do?" Ichigo asked. "If you get fired, I'll help you find another job. Heck, the old man could probably use your help in the clinic. Just let us help you dammit!"

Uryuu scowled and folded his arms. "I don't like asking for help. I have my pride."

"Yeah, that little hat you're wearing just screams "pride"." Ichigo scoffed. "What the hell good is "pride" going to do you anyway? You got a wife and a kid on the way. You weren't exactly rich before and who knows when your problem at the bank is going to get fixed. What's wrong with swallowing your pride and asking your friends for help? If you don't want me to help you, fine. What about Chad? What about Urahara? Hell, I could probably introduce you to Ol' Unagiya if you want. At least her hours are more flexible than this place."

"You don't understand." Uryuu insisted. "When I left my father's house, I decided I was going to stand on my own two feet like an adult. I'm the only one responsible for my situation and I will be the one to get us out. Asking for help is like…like crawling back to Ryuuken. Like admitting I failed."

Ichigo scowled. "With all due respect Ishida, that's total bullshit. There is nobody in the world that can get by without help every once in a while. Being an adult has nothing to do with it. Everybody slips and falls and everybody needs a hand up every once in a while. That includes _everybody_. Even me. Especially me. I remember someone pounding that into my head once. You need me to return the favor?"

"Look, I appreciate this, but I'm getting by OK."

"Are you?" Ichigo challenged. "You look dead on your feet to me. How are your grades doing? Can you keep this up? And for how long. Dammit Ishida set your stupid pride aside for now and let me help."

Uryuu sighed. Wearily, he adjusted his glasses."You just never give up, do you Kurosaki. So now what?"

"Beats me." Ichigo said while scratching his head. "I don't have any ideas right now. Tell you what. I'll come by tomorrow for dinner as we can talk about it. I'm sure Yuzu will have something for me to bring."

Uryuu didn't like it. It went against his grain, both as a man and as a Quincy to have to ask for help. But Kurosaki was right. He had other people depending on him now. If swallowing his pride would keep Nemu and Souken safe and cared for, then that's what he would have to do.

"All right Kurosaki. We'll be expecting you tomorrow."

"Great!" Ichigo said as he headed towards the door. "I'll see you then. And make sure that casserole dish is ready to take back. Yuzu will have my hide if I lose it!"

* * *

><p>Mayuri was deep into reviewing his daily reports when the alert popped up on his computer screen.<p>

"What's this?" He murmured as he turned to the machine. "Ah, they're at it again."

The program he had designed to disable and monitor the Ishida bank account was working flawlessly. Of course. It had been denying any attempts at restoration on the account all day. Now it had run into something it couldn't handle.

"Oh, my. They seem to have brought in some talented programmers indeed. They really seem to know what they are doing. I wonder how much farther they'll get if the mainframe goes down?"

Pulling up the appropriate command, he cackled with glee as he mashed down the enter key. If only he had thought to put some cameras in the bank. The chaos and confusion as their operations came to a screeching halt would be hilarious!

"You wanted to live in the real world daughter? Then welcome to real world suffering. Perhaps a little hunger will teach you the folly of your ways."

Of course, this mischievous prank had nothing to do with his overall plan. This was simply for his own amusement. The actual plan would be executed soon. There were still a lot of ways for things to go wrong, Mayuri thought. The quincy had proven himself very resourceful in the past. But where guile had failed before, maybe brute strength would succeed. Best of all, if things did go wrong, there was no way for the Gotei 13 to trace it back to him. And if things didn't go wrong? He got up from his chair and strode out the door. He went to his lab where all was in readiness. The second Nemu was back in his clutches, he would finally be able to observe her and that brat properly. He caressed the side of a specially made plexiglass tank, just waiting to be filled with nutrient fluid. And the subject.

"Soon, my daughter," He crooned. "Soon you will return to me. Soon you'll be right back where you belong…"


End file.
